Confession is one of the Christian sacraments, when a Christian repents of his sins before a priest. But few of the Orthodox know how to confess correctly, and what happens after this sacrament. Priests consider repentance to be the second baptism: during confession a person is completely cleansed from sins.

Sinful acts in Christianity

Before repentance, you should know the list of actions that are considered sinful in Christianity. Sins are divided according to the following criteria:

• Against God.
• Against yourself.
• Against their neighbors.

Sins against the Lord

The main sins against the Lord should be known to everyone orthodox person .

Sins against yourself

One might think that sins against oneself are not so important, this is a delusion, because we are all a part of the Lord. We must be very careful with ourselves., your thoughts, your body. The main sins against oneself:

Sins Against Your Neighbors

Sins against loved ones are punished especially strongly. We must treat our neighbors the way we want to be treated.

Major sins against another person:

To believing women in Orthodox faith special requirements, because it is a woman who raises children and she must instill in them love of God by example. There is a separate list of sins for the confession of women:

Preparing for confession

Before going to church, you need to know how to prepare for confession and communion. First, you need to realize your sins and repent of them sincerely, have a great desire to leave your sin behind and move on with faith in the Lord.

You must understand that real confession is about more than just listing your sins to a priest. The Lord already knows all your sins, he is waiting for you to realize your sins and sincerely wish to get rid of them. Only after true repentance can one expect that after confession it will become easier in my soul.

You can take a piece of paper and write down all your sins that weigh on your soul. A written piece of paper can be given to a spiritual mentor for cleaning, but especially grave sins should be told aloud.

Remorse should be brief, you do not need to tell the whole story of your quarrel with loved ones, tell only about how you condemned loved ones or relatives, your anger or envy. It is a very good practice every evening before evening prayer to analyze the day lived and bring repentance in front of the icon.

To confess, you must first know when the sacrament of confession takes place in the church. In large churches, the sacrament of confession is performed daily. In those temples where there is no daily service, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the schedule.

If after confession you are so and it didn’t get any easier, you didn’t believe in God enough, the grace that comes to the Orthodox believer after sincere repentance is not yet available to you.

The Church is always glad to all people who come to confession. Even the greatest sinners have the right to believe in God and bring repentance for their sins. Priests are usually very welcoming to the parishioners and help them in the process, encouraging them to correct words and conclusions.

Confession is conducted either in the morning or in the evening. One should not be late for the sacrament, since it begins with a prayer, in which every penitent must participate. During the prayer service, the priest asks everyone who has come to give their names. Women are not allowed to attend the sacrament during menstruation.

How to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, you can learn from your believing parents who have passed this sacrament more than once. You should know that a good spiritual father will always help and guide you. Sins need to be named briefly, it is important to name all the sins, one cannot be pronounced, and others are silent. If in the previous Sacrament your sins have already been forgiven, you do not need to name them this time. Always confess from the same priest, do not look for another out of your own shame, doing so, you are trying to deceive God and yourself.

In large churches, when there are a lot of people who want to confess and there is no opportunity to devote time to everyone, the priest can conduct a "general confession." The confessor lists the most common sins and those who stand before him repent of these sins. If you have never confessed before, or a long time has passed since your last repentance, do not repent in a general confession, wait until everyone disperses and ask him to listen to you. With individual absolution, the priest will put an epitrachelion on your head, which outwardly resembles a scarf; after the absolution, he will take it off.

During the sacrament, Father can ask you questions, no need to be embarrassed, answer calmly. A parishioner can also ask questions, there is no need to be ashamed of this, because confession exists for this, so that a person can find a righteous path to God. After repentance, the priest reads a prayer for the remission of sins, and each parishioner kisses the cross and the Gospel. If a person has prepared in advance for confession, the priest gives permission for communion.

Choosing clothes should be very careful, men should wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. Women also need to dress modestly, outerwear should cover the shoulders, neckline, put a scarf on your head. Women should not wear makeup for confession, it is not recommended to wear high-heeled shoes, it will be difficult to withstand service in them.

How to prepare for confession to a child

Children under seven years of age are considered infants, they can receive communion without confession. Try to tune the baby to the sacrament in a few days, read the Holy Scriptures or children's Orthodox literature. In preparation, reduce the time you watch TV or the computer, and help your baby to pray. If a child commits bad deeds or swears, you need to shame him.

After seven years, children can be confessed on an equal basis with adults, in the church there are certain allowances for childhood sins, since they can commit the sins listed above by chance.

How to prepare for the sacrament

After confession, the sacrament of the sacrament takes place, this can be performed on the same day. Before communion, you need to fast for three days, and a week before that, read the akathists to the saints and the Mother of God. You should not eat or drink before communion; in the morning after waking up, you need to read prayers. At confession, the priest will definitely ask you about this.

Preparing for the sacrament also involves giving up smoking, alcohol, and intimacy with your partner. Before this sacred ordinance, one should not use foul language, it is very important, because you are going to accept the blood and body of the Lord. Standing in front of the Chalice of Christ, you need to keep your hands crossed on your chest; before eating bread and wine, you need to pronounce your name.

There is a lot of special literature in the church shop that will help you prepare for the sacrament correctly and prepare your child for confession.

Remember that confession and the sacrament must come into your spiritual life. Confessors recommend going to the sacrament of confession once every six months. How often to do this is up to you, but after such a sacrament it will become much easier for you and you will free yourself from the thoughts that weigh you down.

Confession (repentance) is one of the seven Christian Sacraments, in which a repentant confessing his sins to a priest, with a visible forgiveness of sins (reading a prayer of permission), is invisibly released from them. By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This sacrament was established by the Savior, who said to His disciples: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven; and what you allow (untie) on earth, it will be allowed in heaven "(Gospel of Matthew, ch. 18, verse 18). And in another place:" Receive the Holy Spirit: to whom you forgive sins, that will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on whom they will remain "(Gospel of John, ch. 20, verses 22-23). The apostles, on the other hand, transferred the power to "knit and allow" to their successors - the bishops, who in turn, when performing the Sacrament of the ordination (priesthood), transfer this power to the priests.

The Holy Fathers call repentance the second baptism: if during baptism a person is cleansed from the power of the original sin transferred to him at birth from our first parents Adam and Eve, then repentance washes him from the filth of his own sins, committed by him after the Sacrament of Baptism.

In order for the Sacrament of Penance to be performed, on the part of the penitent, it is necessary: ​​the awareness of his sinfulness, sincere heartfelt repentance of his sins, the desire to leave sin and not repeat it, faith in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy, faith that the Sacrament of Confession has the power to cleanse and wash away honestly confessed sins through the prayer of the priest.

The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John, ch. 1, verse 7). At the same time, we hear from many people: “I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t

I commit adultery, so what should I repent of? " But if we carefully study God's commandments, we will find that we sin against many of them. Conventionally, all sins committed by a person can be divided into three groups: sins against God, sins against neighbors and sins against oneself.

Ingratitude to God.

Disbelief. Doubt about faith. Justification of their disbelief by an atheistic upbringing.

Apostasy, cowardly silence, when they blaspheme the faith of Christ, not wearing pectoral cross visiting various sects.

Mentioning the name of God in vain (when the name of God is mentioned not in prayer or in a pious conversation about Him).

Oath in the name of the Lord.

Divination, treatment with whispering grandmothers, turning to psychics, reading books on black, white and other magic, reading and distributing occult literature and various false teachings.

Suicidal thoughts.

Playing cards and other gambling.

Failure to comply with the morning and evening prayer rules.

Failure to visit the temple of God on Sundays and holidays.

Failure to observe fasts on Wednesday and Friday, violation of other fasts established by the Church.

Reckless (non-daily) reading of Holy Scripture, soulful literature.

Breaking the vows made to God.

Despair in difficult situations and disbelief in the Providence of God, fear of old age, poverty, illness.

Absent-mindedness in prayer, thoughts of everyday life during worship.

Condemnation of the Church and its servants.

Addiction to various earthly things and pleasures.

Continuation of a sinful life in one hope for the mercy of God, that is, excessive trust in God.

A waste of time watching TV, reading entertaining books at the expense of time for prayer, reading the Gospel and spiritual literature.

Concealment of sins in confession and unworthy communion of the Holy Mysteries.

Self-reliance, self-reliance, that is, excessive hope for own strength and on someone's help, without the hope that everything is in the hands of God.

Raising children outside the Christian faith.

Hot temper, anger, irritability.

Arrogance.

Perjury.

Mockery.

Avarice.

Non-repayment of debts.

Failure to pay earned money for labor.

Failure to provide assistance to those in need.

Disrespect for parents, irritation with their old age.

Disrespect for elders.

Recklessness in your work.

Condemnation.

The appropriation of someone else's is theft.

Quarrels with neighbors and neighbors.

Killing your child in the womb (abortion), persuading others to commit murder (abortion).

Murder by word - bringing a person with slander or condemnation to a painful state and even to death.

Drinking alcohol at the commemoration of the dead instead of intense prayer for them.

Verbosity, gossip, idle talk. ,

Unreasonable laughter.

Foul language.

Self-love.

Doing good deeds for show.

Vanity.

The desire to get rich.

Love of money.

Envy.

Drunkenness, drug use.

Gluttony.

Fornication - inciting lecherous thoughts, impure desires, lecherous touches, watching erotic films and reading similar books.

Fornication is the physical intimacy of persons who are not married.

Adultery is a violation of marital fidelity.

Fornication is unnatural - physical closeness of persons of the same sex, masturbation.

Incest is physical intimacy with a loved one or nepotism.

Although the above sins are conventionally divided into three parts, in the final analysis, these are all sins both against God (because they violate His commandments and thereby offend Him) and against neighbors (because they do not allow true Christian relationships and love to be revealed) ), and against oneself (since they hinder the saving dispensation of the soul).

Anyone who wants to bring repentance before God for their sins must prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. You need to prepare for confession in advance: it is advisable to read the literature on the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, remember all your sins, you can write them out on

a separate sheet to view before confession. Sometimes a leaflet with the listed sins is given to the confessor for reading, but the sins that weigh the soul especially must be told aloud. There is no need to tell the confessor long stories, it is enough to state the sin itself. For example, if you are at enmity with relatives or neighbors, you do not need to tell what caused this enmity - you need to repent of the very sin of condemning relatives or neighbors. It is not the list of sins that is important to God and the confessor, but the penitential feeling of the confessed person, not detailed stories, but a broken heart. It must be remembered that confession is not only an awareness of one's own shortcomings, but, above all, a thirst to cleanse oneself from them. In no case is self-justification inadmissible - this is no longer repentance! Elder Silouan the Athonite explains what real repentance is: "This is the sign of the forgiveness of sins: if you hate sin, then the Lord has forgiven you your sins."

It is good to develop the habit of analyzing the past day every evening and bringing daily repentance to God, writing down serious sins for future confession with a confessor. It is necessary to reconcile with neighbors and ask for forgiveness from everyone who has been offended. Preparing for confession, it is advisable to strengthen your evening prayer rule by reading the Penitential Canon, which is found in the Orthodox prayer book.

To confess, you need to find out when the Sacrament of Confession is taking place in the church. In those churches where the service is performed every day, the Sacrament of Confession is also performed every day. In the same churches where there is no daily service, you must first familiarize yourself with the schedule of services.

Children under seven years of age (in the Church they are called infants) begin the Sacrament of Communion without prior confession, but it is necessary from early childhood to develop in children a sense of reverence for this great

Sacrament. Frequent communion without proper preparation can develop in children an unwanted sense of routine. It is advisable to prepare infants for the upcoming Communion in 2-3 days: read the Gospel, the Lives of the Saints, other soulful books with them, shorten, or it is better to completely exclude watching TV (but this must be done very tactfully, without developing negative associations in the child with the preparation for Communion ), follow their prayers in the morning and before going to bed, talk with the child about the past days and lead him to a sense of shame for his own wrongdoings. The main thing is to remember that there is nothing more effective for a child than a personal example of parents.

Starting at the age of seven, children (adolescents) already begin the Sacrament of Communion, like adults, only after the preliminary performance of the Sacrament of Confession. In many ways, the sins listed in the previous sections are inherent in children, but still, children's confession has its own characteristics. In order to motivate the children to sincerely repentance, you are encouraged to let them read the following list of possible transgressions:

Did you lie in bed in the morning and missed the morning prayer rule in connection with this?

Didn't he sit down at the table without praying or go to bed without prayer?

Do you know by heart the most important Orthodox prayers: "Our Father", "Jesus Prayer", "Virgin Mary, rejoice", a prayer to your Heavenly patron, whose name you bear?

Did you go to church every Sunday?

Was he fond of various fun in church holidays instead of visiting the temple of God?

Did he conduct himself properly in the church service, did he run around the church, did he conduct empty conversations with his peers, thereby leading them into temptation?

Did you not utter the name of God unnecessarily?

Are you making the sign of the cross correctly, are you not in a hurry, are you distorting the sign of the cross?

Was he distracted by extraneous thoughts while praying?

Do you read the Gospel, other spiritual books?

Do you wear a pectoral cross and are you not ashamed of it?

Do you use a cross as a decoration, which is a sin?

Do you wear various amulets, for example, the signs of the zodiac?

Did you not guess, did you not tell fortunes?

Didn't he hide his sins before the priest in confession because of false shame, and then received unworthy communion?

Was he not proud of himself and others of his successes and abilities?

Did you argue with anyone - just to get the upper hand in an argument?

Did you deceive your parents for fear of punishment?

Have you eaten during the fast without the permission of your parents a modest one, for example, ice cream?

Did he obey his parents, did he argue with them, did he demand an expensive purchase from them?

Did you beat anyone? Did you incite others to do this?

Did you offend the younger ones?

Did you torture animals?

Did you gossip about whom, did you gossip about whom?

Did you laugh at people with any physical disabilities?

Have you tried smoking, drinking, sniffing glue, or using drugs?

Did you use foul language?

Did you play cards?

Have you ever been involved in masturbation?

Did you not appropriate someone else's?

Did you have a habit of taking without asking what you do not belong to?

Wasn't he lazy to help your parents around the house?

Did he pretend to be sick in order to shirk his duties?

Did you envy others?

The above list is just a general outline of possible sins. Each child can have their own, individual experiences associated with specific cases. The task of the parents is to tune the child to repentant feelings before the Sacrament of Confession. You can advise him to remember his misdeeds committed after the last confession, write his sins on a piece of paper, but you should not do this for him. The main thing: the child must understand that the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament that cleanses the soul from sins on condition of sincere, sincere repentance and a desire not to repeat them again.

Confession is performed in churches either in the evening after the evening service, or in the morning before the beginning of the liturgy. In no case should one be late for the beginning of confession, since the Sacrament begins with the reading of the rite, in which everyone who wants to confess must prayerfully participate. When reading the rite, the priest appeals to the penitents to give their names - everyone answers in an undertone. Those who are late for the beginning of confession are not allowed to the Sacrament; the priest, if there is such an opportunity, at the end of the confession reads the rite for them and accepts the confession, or appoints it for another day. You cannot start the Sacrament of Repentance for women during the period of a month's cleansing.

Confession usually takes place in a church with a congregation of people, so you need to respect the secret of confession, not crowd around the priest receiving confession, and not embarrass the confessing person who reveals his sins to the priest. Confession must be complete. You cannot confess some sins first, and leave others for the next time. Those sins that the penitent confessed in the past

The previous confessions, which had already been released to him, are not named again. If possible, you should confess with the same confessor. You should not, having a permanent confessor, look for another to confess your sins, which are hindered by a feeling of false shame to a familiar confessor. Those who do this by their actions are trying to deceive God Himself: in confession we confess our sins not to the confessor, but together with him - to the Savior Himself.

In large churches, due to the large number of repenting people and the inability of the priest to accept confession from everyone, usually a "general confession" is practiced, when the priest lists out loud the most common sins and the confessors standing in front of him repent of them, after which everyone in turn comes up to the prayer of permission ... Those who have never been to confession or have not confessed for several years should avoid general confession. Such people must necessarily go through a private confession - for which one must choose either a weekday, when there are not so many confessors in the church, or find a parish where only a private confession is performed. If this is not possible, you need to go to the priest at a general confession for a prayer of permission, among the latter, so as not to detain anyone, and, after explaining the situation, open up to him in the sins he has committed. Those who have grave sin should do the same.

Many devotees of piety warn that the grave sin, about which the confessing was silent at the general confession, remains unrepentant, and therefore not forgiven.

After the confession of sins and the reading of the prayer of permission by the priest, the penitent kisses the Cross and the Gospel lying on the analogue and, if he is preparing for communion, takes the blessing from the confessor for communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

In some cases, the priest may impose penance on the penitent — spiritual exercises designed to deepen repentance and eradicate sinful habits. Penance must be regarded as the will of God, uttered through the priest, requiring mandatory fulfillment for the healing of the soul of the penitent. If it is impossible for various reasons to perform the penance, you should contact the priest who imposed it to resolve the difficulties that have arisen.

Those who wish not only to confess, but also to receive the Holy Communion must prepare themselves for the Sacrament of Communion with dignity and in accordance with the requirements of the Church. This preparation is called fasting.

The days of fasting usually last a week, or at least three days. Fasting is prescribed on these days. Meat food is excluded from the diet - meat, dairy products, eggs, and on the days of strict fasting - and fish. Spouses refrain from physical intimacy. The family refuses to entertain and watch TV. If circumstances permit, on these days you should attend services in; temple. The morning and evening prayer rules are followed more diligently, with the addition of the reading of the Penitential Canon.

Regardless of when the Sacrament of Confession is performed in the church - in the evening or in the morning, it is necessary to attend the evening service on the eve of communion. In the evening, before reading prayers for sleep to the future, three canons are read: Repentant to our Lord To Jesus Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel. You can read each canon separately, or use the prayer books, where these three canons are combined. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read before the prayers for Holy Communion, which are read in the morning. Those who find it difficult to follow such a prayer rule in

one day, they take the priest's blessing to read three canons in advance during the days of retreat.

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

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

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

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

The Communion of Christ's Holy Mysteries is a Sacrament established by the Savior Himself during the Last Supper: “Jesus took the bread and, having blessed it, broke it and, distributing it to the disciples, said: take, eat: this is My Body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said: Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins ”(Matthew Gospel, ch. 26, verses 26-28).

During the Divine Liturgy, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated - the bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ and the partakers, receiving Them during the sacrament, mysteriously, incomprehensible to the human mind, are united with Christ Himself, since He is all contained in every Part of the Sacrament ...

The communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ is necessary in order to enter into eternal life. The Savior Himself speaks of this: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day ... ”(Gospel of John, ch. 6, verses 53 - 54).

The Sacrament of Communion is inconceivably great, and therefore requires preliminary cleansing with the Sacrament of Penance; the only exceptions are infants up to seven years of age, who receive communion without the preparation prescribed for the laity. Women need to wipe lipstick off their lips. Women cannot receive communion during the period of a month's cleansing. Women after childbirth are allowed to take communion only after reading the cleansing prayer of the fortieth day over them.

When the priest comes out with the Holy Gifts, the sacraments make one earthly (if weekday) or half-length (if Sunday or holiday) bow and carefully listen to the words of the prayers read by the priest, repeating them to themselves. After reading the prayers,

private traders, folding their hands on their chest (right over left), ceremoniously, without crowding, in deep humility approach the Holy Chalice. There was a pious custom to let the children go first to the Chalice, then men come up, after them - women. You should not be baptized at the Chalice, so as not to accidentally touch it. Having announced his name aloud, the communicant, opening his mouth, accepts the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ. After communion, the deacon or sexton wipe the lips of the partaker with a special cloth, after which he kisses the edge of the Holy Chalice and goes to a special table, where he takes a drink (warmth) and eats a particle of prosphora. This is done so that not a single particle of the Body of Christ remains in the mouth. Without accepting the warmth, you can not apply either to the icons, or to the Cross, or to the Gospel.

After receiving the warmth, the sacraments do not leave the church and pray with everyone until the end of the service. After the empty (concluding words of the service), the sacraments approach the Cross and listen attentively to the prayers of thanks after Holy Communion. After listening to the prayers, the partakers formally disperse, trying to preserve the purity of their soul, purified from sins, as long as possible, not exchanging for empty conversations and deeds that are not useful to the soul. On the day after the communion of the Holy Mysteries, prostrations are not performed; with the blessing of the priest, they are not applied to the hand. You can apply only to icons, the Cross and the Gospel. The rest of the day must be spent piously: avoid verbosity (it is better to be silent more generally), watching TV, exclude marital intimacy, it is advisable for smokers to refrain from smoking. It is advisable to read thanksgiving prayers at home after Holy Communion. It is a prejudice that one cannot shake hands on the day of the sacrament. In no case should one receive Communion several times in one day.

In cases of illness and weakness, you can receive communion at home. For this, a priest is invited to the house. Depending on

From his condition, the sick person is adequately prepared for confession and communion. In any case, he can only receive communion on an empty stomach (with the exception of the dying). Children under seven years of age do not receive communion at home, since, unlike adults, they can receive communion only with the Blood of Christ, and the spare Gifts that the priest communes with at home contain only particles of the Body of Christ, nourished by His Blood. For the same reason, infants do not receive communion at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated on weekdays during Great Lent.

Each Christian either himself determines the time when he needs to confess and receive communion, or he does it with the blessing of his spiritual father. There is a pious custom to partake of Communion at least five times a year - on each of the four many-day fasts and on the day of your Angel (the day of remembrance of the saint whose name you bear).

How often it is necessary to commune is given by the Monk Nicodemus Svyatorets: “True Communioners always come after Communion in a palpably gracious state. The heart then tastes the Lord spiritually.

But as we are constrained by the body, and surrounded by external affairs and relationships, in which we must take part for a long time, the spiritual eating of the Lord, by the split of our attention and feelings, day by day is weakened, obscured and hidden ...

Therefore, zealots, sensing its impoverishment, rush to restore it in strength, and when they restore it, they feel that they are, as it were, partaking of the Lord again. "

Published by the Orthodox parish in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov, Novosibirsk.

The Orthodox faith teaches Christians how to confess correctly. This ceremony is associated with the most ancient events, when the Apostle Peter left the bishop's house and retired after realizing his sin before Christ. He denied the Lord and repented for it.

Likewise, each of us needs to realize our sins before the Lord and be able to present them to the priest in order to sincerely repent and receive forgiveness.

To learn how to properly confess in the church, it is necessary to prepare the mind and body, and below we will tell you how to do it.

Before I go to church try to understand a few important points ... Especially if you decide to confess for the first time. So, what questions most often arise in a person on the eve of confession?

When can I confess?

Confession means a sincere conversation with God through the mediation of a priest. According to church canons, they are attracted to confession from childhood, from the age of seven... Believers confess after the main service, near the lectern. People who decide to be baptized or married also begin confession before God.

How often should you confess?

It depends on the true desire of the person and his personal willingness to speak openly about his sins. When a Christian came to confess for the first time, this does not mean that after that he became sinless. We all sin every day. Therefore, the awareness of our actions lies with ourselves. Someone confesses every month, someone - before big holidays, and someone during Orthodox posts and before your birthday. Here the main understanding is why it is necessary for me what a positive lesson this can teach me in the future.

How to confess, what to say?

It is important here to address the priest sincerely, without false shame. What does this statement mean? A person who has decided to sincerely repent should not just list what sins he has committed in recent times, and even more so, immediately seek an excuse for them.

Remember, you came to church not to hide your unkind actions, but to to receive the blessing of the holy father and start your new, spiritual life.

If you have long wanted to confess what to say to the priest, you can calmly think over at home in advance. Better yet, write it down on paper. Put in front of you "10 Commandments", remember the 7 deadly sins.

Don't forget that anger, adultery, pride, envy, gluttony are also on this list. This also includes visiting fortune-tellers and clairvoyants, watching television broadcasts of inappropriate content.

How should you dress for confession?

The attire should be simple, in accordance with all the laws of Christianity. For women - a closed blouse, skirt or dress not higher than the knee, a scarf on the head. For men - trousers, a shirt. Be sure to take off your headdress.

Can I confess at home?

Of course, God hears our prayers everywhere and, as a rule, forgives us in the event of true repentance. but in the church we can receive that very grace-filled power to help us resist temptation in subsequent situations. We are taking the path of our spiritual rebirth. And this happens precisely during the Sacrament called confession.

How to confess for the first time?

The first confession, like all subsequent times when you decide to confess in the church, requires some preparation.

First, you need to tune in morally... It will be right if you spend some time alone with yourself, turn to the Lord with prayer. It is also recommended to fast on the eve of confession. Confession is like a medicine that heals both body and soul. A person is spiritually reborn, comes to the Lord through forgiveness. You can go to confession without the sacrament, but your faith in the Lord must be unshakable.

Secondly, it is best to agree on the sacrament of confession in advance.... On the appointed day, come to the church for divine service, and at the end of it, go to the lectern, where confession usually takes place.

1. Warn the priest that you will be confessing for the first time.
2. The priest will read the opening prayers, which serve as some preparation for the personal repentance of each of those present (there may be several of them).
3. Next, everyone approaches the analogue where the icon or crucifix is ​​located and bows to the ground.
4. After this, a personal conversation between the priest and the confessor takes place.
5. When it's your turn, share your sins with sincere repentance, without going into unnecessary details and details.
6. You can write down what you would like to say on a piece of paper.
7. Do not be afraid and do not be embarrassed - Confession is given in order to find God's grace, to repent for what you have done and never repeat it.
8. At the end of the conversation, the confessor kneels down, and the priest covers his head with an epitrachilia, a special cloth, and reads a prayer of permission.
9. After that, it is necessary to kiss the Holy Cross and the Gospel as a sign of love for the Lord.

How to receive communion in church?

To modern man It is also very important to know how to receive communion in church, since the Sacrament of Communion to the Holy Chalice unites a Christian with God and strengthens true faith in Him. Communion was instituted by the Son of God himself... The Bible says that Jesus Christ blessed and divided the bread among His disciples. The apostles accepted the bread as the body of the Lord. Then Jesus divided the wine between the apostles, and they drank it as the blood of the Lord shed for the sins of mankind.

Going to church on the eve of a big holiday or before your name day, you need to know how to properly confess and receive communion. This spiritual sacrament plays the same in a person's life. important role, as a wedding ceremony or baptism. Communion without confession is not supposed because their relationship is very strong. Repentance or confession cleanses the conscience, makes our soul bright before the eyes of the Lord. therefore communion follows confession.

During confession, it is necessary to sincerely repent and make decisions to start a humble, pious life in accordance with all Christian laws and rules. Communion, in turn, sends God's Grace to a person, revitalizes his soul, strengthens his faith and heals his body.

How do you prepare for the ordinance of the sacrament?

1. Before communion it is necessary to pray diligently, read spiritual literature and keep a three-day fast.
2. It is recommended to attend an evening service the night before, and you can also confess here.
3. On the day of communion, you must come to the morning Liturgy.
4. After singing the prayer "Our Father", the Holy Chalice is brought to the altar.
5. First, children receive communion, then adults.
6. It is necessary to approach the Chalice very carefully, crossing your arms over your chest (right over left).
7. Then the believer says his Orthodox name and reverently accepts the Holy Gifts - he drinks water or wine from the Chalice.
8. Then the bottom of the Cup should be kissed.

Living in modern society, every Orthodox person who wants to cleanse his soul and draw closer to the Lord should confess and receive communion from time to time.

An integral part of fasting is confession, that is, repentance. This is one of the Orthodox sacraments, when a person tells a minister of the church about his sins that were committed by him during his life. It is important to know how to prepare for confession, because without this it will be impossible to start the sacrament.

How to Prepare for Confession and the Sacrament?

There are several requirements that the clergy tell people who want to receive the Holy Communion.

1. Man must be Orthodox Christian who was baptized by a legitimate priest. In addition, it is important to believe and accept the Holy Scriptures. There are various books with the help of which a person can learn about faith, for example, "Catechism".
2. Understanding what you need to know before confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that you need to remember evil deeds, starting at the age of seven or from the moment of baptism, if this happened in adulthood. It is important to point out that you cannot mention the sins of others in order to justify your own actions.
3. A believer must make a promise to the Lord that every effort will be made to no longer make mistakes and do good.
4. In a situation where the sin has provoked harm to loved ones, then before confession it is important to make every possible effort to atone for the committed act.
5. It is equally important to forgive the existing grievances to people yourself, otherwise you should not count on the Lord's mercy.
6. It is recommended that you develop a habit for yourself every day, for example, before going to bed, to analyze the past day, bringing repentance to the Lord.

Fasting before confession

There are no direct prohibitions regarding whether it is possible to eat before the sacrament of confession, but it is recommended to refrain from eating for 6-8 hours. If you are interested in how to fast before confession and communion, then you must adhere to a three-day fast products include: vegetables and fruits, cereals, fish, baked goods, dried fruits and nuts.

Prayers before confession

One of the important stages of preparation is reading prayer texts, and this can be done both at home and in church. With their help, a person conducts spiritual cleansing and prepares for an important event. Many Orthodox believers assure that in order to prepare for confession, it is important to read prayers, the text of which is clear and well-known, so that you can get rid of disturbing thoughts and gain an understanding of the upcoming ritual. The priests assure that you can even ask for your loved ones, who will have confession and communion.

How to write down sins before confession?

Many people misunderstand the need to list their own sins, even using “lists”. As a result, confession turns into a formal enumeration of one's own mistakes. Priests allow the use of notes, but these should only be reminders and only if a person is really afraid of forgetting something. When figuring out how to prepare for confession, it is worth pointing out that it is important to understand the term "sin", as it is an act that is contrary to the will of the Lord.

There are several tips on how to write sins before confession in order to fulfill everything according to the existing canons.

1. First, you need to remember the misdeeds that concern the Lord, for example, lack of faith, using superstitions in life, turning to fortune-tellers and creating idols for yourself.
2. The pre-confession rules include an indication of the sins committed against yourself and others. This group includes condemnation of others, neglect, bad habits, envy, and so on.
3. It is important during a conversation with priests to discuss only their own sins, without coming up with a special church language.
4. When confessing, a person should talk about really serious things, and not about trifles.
5. When figuring out how to properly prepare for confession and communion, it is worth pointing out that a believer should try to change his life before going to an individual conversation in church. In addition, you need to try to live in peace with the people around you.

Is it okay to drink water before confession?

There are many prohibitions concerning such important and responsible events in the life of a believer, such as confession and. It is believed that as a preparation, it is necessary to refrain from eating and drinking for at least 6-8 hours. It is important to note that before confession it is allowed to drink water only for people who need to drink medicines important for life. If a person drank water before communion, then the priest should be told about this.

Is smoking allowed before the sacrament and confession?

There are different opinions on this topic, which are expressed by the clergy.

1. Some believe that if a person smokes for a long time, it will be difficult for him to quit bad habit, and there are cases when it is dangerous. In their opinion, cigarette addiction cannot be a reason for denying confession and communion.
2. Other clergymen, answering the question regarding whether it is possible to smoke before confession and communion, are categorical, arguing that if it is difficult for a person to abstain from tobacco before this important event, then it is difficult to talk about the presence of the triumph of the spirit over the body.

Is it okay to have sex before confession?

Many believers misunderstand, considering it something dirty and sinful. In fact, sex is an integral part of the marriage relationship. Many priests are of the opinion that husband and wife are free individuals, and no one has the right to enter their bedroom with their councils. Sex before confession is not strictly forbidden, but if possible, abstinence will be useful to maintain the purity of body and soul.

There is no sin that exceeds the mercy of God. Even Judas would be forgiven if he asked for forgiveness. The example of the Monk Mary of Egypt, who was a harlot for 17 years, and then became a model of repentance and a great saint of God, gives us hope for the forgiveness of our sins.

I'm going to go to my first confession. How to Prepare?

For confession, you need an awareness of your sins, sincere repentance for them, desire with God's help improve. You can write down some sins on a piece of paper as a cheat sheet so as not to get confused for the first time (then do with this piece of paper what you want: you can throw it away, burn it, give it to the priest, save it until the next confession and compare what you have corrected in, but than - no). With a long list of sins, it is better to come to the service in the middle of the week, rather than on Sunday. In general, it is better to start with the patient himself, which disturbs the soul, gradually moving on to minor sins.

First came to confession. Father did not allow me to take communion - as "homework" he advised me to read the Gospel.

When a person does not know, for example, the rules road traffic, then he does not know what violates them. If a person does not know the Gospel, that is, the Law of God, then it is difficult for him to repent of sins, for he does not really understand what sin is. Therefore, it is useful to read the Gospel.

Is it possible to ask parents and relatives for forgiveness of sins in confession?

We cannot, having come to the doctor, for someone to undergo treatment, we cannot eat for someone in the dining room, therefore in confession we ask forgiveness for our sins and help in correcting them. And we pray for our loved ones ourselves and submit notes to the church.

At confession, I regularly repent that I live in fornication, but I continue to live like this - I'm afraid my loved one will not understand me.

An Orthodox Christian should be concerned to be understood by God. And according to His word, "fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God." In addition, confession is not just a statement of sins, but also a desire to improve. In your case, the following situation turns out: you come to the doctor (for confession in the church), state that you are "sick" with sin, but you are not being treated. Moreover, such a confession is also hypocritical. Of course, we repeat most of our confessed sins, but at least we should have an intention to correct ourselves, and you don't. Advice: register the relationship as soon as possible, at least in the registry office.

I am not yet ready to repent of one sin, because I will commit it again. Don't go to confession at all? But other sins torment you!

No matter how much we love our sins, at least on the level of reason, we must understand that if we do not repent and correct ourselves, we will face eternal punishment. Such a thought should contribute to the desire to correct all sins, because who can give himself a guarantee that he will live at least until the next day? And the Lord told us: "In what I find, in that I judge." Unfortunately, the vast majority of people, after confession, immediately repeat most of their sins, but this is not a reason not to repent of them. If a person is sincerely worried about this, if he wants to correct himself, even if he does not succeed in everything and does not immediately succeed, then, according to the words of the Holy Fathers, the Lord will take even this desire as a deed.

Is it okay to go to general confession?

The so-called general confession is rather a profanation of confession, because there is no confession as such. It's something like this: a lot of people came to the doctor, and he took out a piece of paper with a list of diseases and said: "Well, sick, now get well, be healthy!" Something doubtful to benefit from such an appointment with a doctor. This is allowed as an exception during a large influx of confessors during Great Lent, but the priest should emphasize that this is an exception: come to Presanctified services on Wednesdays and Fridays, on Saturday, go to churches somewhere on the outskirts of the city, where less people but don't be formal about confession. Don't be happy that you didn't have to say anything, shifting the responsibility to the priest. In general, it opens to the knocking and the one who seeks finds.

All sins are forgiven in confession. But what if the sins of 10, 20 years ago are remembered? Do I need to confess them?

If sins are remembered and realized, then, of course, they must be confessed. It won't get any worse.

They are very tormented by grave sins, even though they are already confessed. Do I need to talk about them in confession again?

Sincerely repentant and no longer repeated sin is forgiven once and for all. But such terrible sins as abortion, occultism, murder, even after confession, gnaw a person. Therefore, in them you can once again ask God for forgiveness, while not necessarily speaking them in confession, but simply remembering your crimes and trying to atone for the opposite good deeds.

Why should lay people confess before the sacrament, but priests don't? Is it possible to receive communion without confession?

What do you think, if you take a doctor and a patient without medical education, - which of them is better versed in diets, prescribing medications, etc.? In some cases, a doctor can help himself, but an ordinary person is forced to seek help. People go to church to heal the soul, and there are such sins that do not allow a person to take communion. A layman may not understand and not know about it, and if he goes without confession, the sacrament may serve him not for salvation, but for condemnation. Therefore, control is needed in the form of a priest. And priests are more competent in such things and can control when to go to confession, and when they can only ask for forgiveness from God.

Does the Bible provide evidence that it is through a priest that we should confess?

The Lord, sending the apostles to preach, said: "To whom you forgive on earth will be forgiven in heaven." What is this if not the right to accept repentance and on behalf of God to forgive a person's sins? And He also said: "Receive the Holy Spirit, forgive Him on earth, it will be forgiven in heaven." There were also prototypes of repentance in the Old Testament, for example, the rite with the scapegoat, the sacrifices in the temple, for these were cleansing sacrifices for sins. This apostolic authority for the forgiveness of sins by virtue of succession is received by all legitimate priests, which is confirmed by the words of Christ: "Behold Azm (I) am with you all the days until the end of the age."

It is not always possible to go to the temple for confession of sins. Can I confess before an icon at home?

Evening prayers end with a daily confession of sins. But, nevertheless, from time to time a person must repent of them and in confession.

I was preparing for the first confession, I read the book of John (Krestyankin) "The Experience of Building Confession". But when I approached the analogue, I could not say anything - tears flowed. The father forgave me sins. Is confession considered valid?

In confession, the main thing is not what we say, but what is in our heart. For this is what the Lord says: "Son, give me your heart." And King David taught: "The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. A broken and humble heart God will not despise."

My grandmother is dying, she doesn't understand anything, doesn't speak. Being in her right mind, she refused confession and communion. Can you confess it now?

The Church accepts a conscious choice of a person without forcing his will. If a person, being in his right mind, wanted to proceed to the sacraments of the Church, but for some reason did not do this, then in case of a clouded mind, remembering his desire and consent, you can still make such a compromise as communion and unction (so we give communion to infants or the insane). But if a person, being of sound mind, did not want to accept the sacraments of the church, refused to confess his sins, then even in the event of a loss of consciousness, the Church does not force the choice of this person. Alas, this is his choice. Such cases are considered by the confessor, directly communicating with the patient and his relatives, after which the final decision is made. In general, of course, it is best to clarify your relationship with God in a conscious and adequate state.

I had a fall - the sin of fornication, although I gave my word, repented and was sure that this would not happen to me again. What to do?

Mary of Egypt was the greatest harlot. But every Great Lent the Church remembers her as an example of repentance. Conclusion: no matter how hard we fall, sincere repentance blots out sin and opens the gates of heaven. Let the very word of fornication be disgusting to you, so that with God's help it will never be repeated.

I am ashamed to tell my father in confession about my sins.

You must be ashamed when you sin. And shame in confession is false shame. We need to think not about how the priest will look at us, but about how God will look at us. In addition, any prudent father will never condemn you, but will only rejoice, as a doctor rejoices in a recovering patient. If you cannot bring yourself to name the sins, write them on a piece of paper and give them to the priest. Or repent without details, in general terms. The main thing is to have a repentant feeling, contrition, a desire to improve.

If my sins are very shameful, can I tell the priest about them without details? Or will it be like a concealment of sin?

In order to treat bodily illnesses, it is important for a physician to know all the details of these illnesses. You may not describe the details of your sins, but it is still better to call a spade a spade and not be limited to general phrases.

Do I need to go to confession if it turns out to be formal?

In our relationship with God, sincerity is key. We must understand that formalism and hypocrisy in a relationship with God will not pass. But if your conscience agrees that many of your words in confession sound cold, formally, this indicates that, nevertheless, the sin you confess worries you and you want to get rid of it. Therefore, name your sins in confession, say at the same time that, while confessing them, you see some sins, but you are not yet able to hate them. And therefore, ask God for forgiveness so that this vision grows into hatred of sin and a desire to get rid of it. The Holy Fathers teach that even if the same sins are repeated again, nevertheless, they must be confessed, by doing this we seem to shatter the stump, which is then easier to rip out.

Is it true that in confession one should not repent of sins committed before baptism?

If you have washed dirty clothes, then you will only wash them again when they get dirty again. If a person accepts the sacrament of baptism with faith, then, indeed, he receives forgiveness for all the sins committed up to this moment. It no longer makes sense to repent of them. There are simply such terrible sins as murder, abortion, in which the soul again and again wants to ask for forgiveness from God. That is, the case when God has already forgiven, but a person cannot forgive himself. In such cases, it is allowed to speak again about terrible sins in confession.

I'm afraid I misnamed the sin in confession. What to do?

The main thing is not how to name your sin, but to have a repentant feeling and a desire to correct yourself.

My spiritual father confesses me at home, so I realize my sins better, I take my time, I can ask him a question. Can you do this?

Can. Before the revolution, many people, not being able to often visit Optina Hermitage, wrote to the elders, confessed in letters. In your case, it is important that you do not just talk, but that the priest reads the prayer of permission at the end.

Is it possible to confess without preparation?

When a person has appendicitis, or he does not sleep at night from toothache, then he does not need any tests, examinations, ultrasound to identify the disease. He rushes to the doctor for help. So it is with confession. If our heart hurts that we, for example, stole something, went to sorcerers, had an abortion, fell into fornication, drunkenness, that is, when we know specifically what we are sinning, then no books are needed , we go to confession and confess our sins. But a person who is not familiar with the Gospel, does not know the laws of God and, even breaking them, does not realize that he is sinning, of course, must prepare. Study the laws of God, find out what he sins, and thus prepared, go to confession to the priest.

When can a priest impose a penance? How to take it off?

Penance is excommunication from the sacrament for some sin for a while. It can consist of fasting, intense prayer, etc. Upon completion of the imposed penance, it is removed by the same priest who imposed it.

Going to the first confession, I found a list of sins on the Internet. There were: listening to music, going to the cinema, going to concerts, riding the rides ... Is that true?

Firstly, all sins cannot be recognized and remembered, we have so many of them. Therefore, at confession we must repent of especially grave sins that worry us and from which we really want to get rid of. Secondly, with regard to attractions, music, cinema, then, as they say, there are nuances. Because music and films are different and not always harmless. For example, films filled with debauchery, violence, horror. Many songs of rock music glorify the devil, in the literal sense they are dedicated to him. Well, I'm sure there are absolutely harmless rides, not counting, of course, the hobby for computer games and consoles. For gambling addiction (gambling addiction) has dire consequences for both the soul and the body, which cannot be said about ordinary carousels and swings.

There is an opinion that it is undesirable to confess "on the list", but you need to remember everything.

If a person, preparing for confession, simply rewrites the manual for the penitent, and then reads this list in confession, then this is an ineffective confession. And if a person is worried, fearing from excitement to forget about some of his sins, and at home in front of a candle and an icon with tears writes down the penitential feelings of his heart, then such preparation can only be welcomed.

Can a priest's wife confess to her husband?

To do this, you need to be literally a holy person, because it is purely humanly difficult to be completely sincere, revealing all the nakedness of your soul in front of your husband. Even if mother does this, she can do this to harm the father himself. After all, he is also a weak person. Therefore, I would recommend not to confess to my husband unless absolutely necessary.

A relative of mine who went to church and participated in its ordinances suddenly passed away. There was a leaflet with sins. Is it possible to read it to the priest so that he can say the prayer of permission in absentia?

If a person was preparing for confession, but died on the way to the temple, the Lord accepted his intentions and forgave his sins. So no extra confession is required anymore.

I confess regularly. I will not say that I do not see my sins, but the sins are the same. Say the same thing in confession?

But do we brush our teeth every day? And we wash, and my hands, in spite of the fact that they get dirty again. So it is with the soul. This is what the Gospel calls for: how many times you have fallen, so many times and rise. So there is only one conclusion: if we stain our clothes - we clean our clothes, we polluted our souls with sins - we cleanse our souls by repentance.

What are the consequences for the soul of remembering confessed sins?

If you again recall with a shudder, for example, an abortion, it is useful. And if you recall with relish, for example, the sins of fornication, then it is sinful.

Is confession allowed electronically over the Internet?

Your doctor can tell you over the phone which medications to take for which symptoms. But, for example, it is impossible to make an operation over the phone. Similarly, through the Internet, you can ask something from a priest and receive advice, but you still have to go to the sacraments yourself. But if someone got to a desert island, but somehow got in touch with the priest by e-mail, he can repent of his sins by asking the priest to read the prayer of permission. That is, a similar format of confession can be allowed when there is no other opportunity for repentance.

At what age should boys confess and at what age?

The rules contain an indication, without dividing into boys and girls, that a person starts confession from about 10 years old or as soon as he realizes the meaning of confession. And here in Russia (probably very smart children) it is customary to start confessing children from the age of 7.

I came to confession for the first time in 20 years. He repented of his affair with his wife, and did not remember any more sins. Father said that in my case it was necessary to come with a huge list of sins and that the Christian in me died ...

In fact, at confession you need not a long list of sins written on paper. In confession, a person says what he cannot forget, about which his soul hurts, and for this no piece of paper is needed. For what is the point of sitting at home, copying on paper almost one to one the next manual for the penitent, if at the same time the person has not felt the depth of his fall and there is no desire in him to correct himself? In your case, the Christian in you did not die, he just slept deeply for 20 years. Once you came to the temple, he began to wake up. The task of the confessor in this case is to help you resurrect a Christian in yourself. So in terms of your form, it seems, they justly subjected you to a thrashing, but in fact they could really completely kill the remnants of Christianity in your soul. I would like to wish you, through the instructions of the Holy Fathers, listening to the voice of conscience and good priests, to come to the Church and live in it all your life with hope for the Kingdom of Heaven.

I want to confess and receive communion, but I keep putting it off because of fear of the Lord. How to Overcome Fear?

The fear of sudden death should overcome the fear of confession, because no one knows at what moment the Lord will call his soul to answer. But it is scary to appear before God with all your negative baggage, it is wiser to leave it here (through confession).

Does a priest have the right to violate the sacrament of confession?

The secret of confession is not subject to disclosure to anyone and under no justification. There were times when a priest, keeping the secret of confession, even went to prison.

I do not go to confession, because I am afraid for the priest, who takes all sins upon himself and then gets sick.

John the Baptist, pointing to Christ, said: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world." No priest can take upon himself the sins of the people who confess to him; only Christ can do this. Throw away all your fears and false shame and hurry to confession.

After confession and communion, I felt relief. Petty feuds disappeared in the family, and the state of health improved. But the most important thing: I noticed that my prayers to God have been heard, requests for the health of my family are being fulfilled.

Your words testify that when you sincerely turn to God with a request for forgiveness of sins, the Lord, who said “ask, and it will be given to you,” fulfills the promise. And since our sins are very often the cause of our illnesses, troubles, failures, then when these sins are forgiven, the cause of all troubles disappears. That is, when the reasons disappear, the consequences also disappear: a person's health is restored, success in work appears, family relationships etc.