List of women's sins for confession. Preparing for Confession

Instructions

When preparing for confession, check your own conscience with the ten Beatitudes; they are known to every believer from childhood, since they are often mentioned in Everyday life. Remember, if you hide something in confession, you are hiding it not from a human priest, but from Jesus Christ himself.

As you do, keep them in mind sample list, which can be divided into three groups: sins against God (unbelief, taking the name of the Lord in vain, thoughts of suicide, ingratitude to God, playing cards, non-compliance and many others), sins against neighbors (arrogance, hot temper, anger, mockery, quarrels with neighbors) and sins against oneself (foul language, vanity, lying, drunkenness, adultery).

Do not be afraid of your own sins, they should in no way stand between you and a visit to church on. Remember that God pleases the very desire of the soul to repent.

Don't worry that the priest will be unpleasantly surprised or even amazed by the list of your unrighteous deeds. Believe me, the church has seen other sinners who repent of their deeds. The priest, like no one else, knows that people are weak and cannot cope with demonic temptation without help.

If there are doubts about the reputation of the priest performing the Sacrament of Confession, please note that confession remains in force no matter how sinful the clergyman is, provided that you actually repented sincerely.

For your first confession, choose a weekday time when there are not many people in the church. You can ask your friends for advice in advance about which priest and which temple is best to contact first. confession Yu. Respect other confessors, do not crowd close to the priest and under no circumstances be late for the start of the procedure, otherwise you risk not being allowed to the sacred Sacrament.

For the future, develop the nightly habit of analyzing the events of the past day and daily before God, and write down the most serious sins for future confession. Be sure to ask for forgiveness from all your neighbors who you have offended, even if inadvertently.

note

Women are not allowed to confess or visit temple at all during the period of monthly purification.

Helpful advice

Do not perceive confession as an interrogation with partiality, but especially intimate details personal life do not tell the clergyman in paint. A brief mention of them will suffice.

Confession- a very serious step. It can be difficult to admit your negative actions not only to a stranger, but even to yourself. This is a conversation with your conscience. And you need to prepare for this conversation in advance, as if this is the last confession in your life.

Instructions

There is no specific structure for confession. It is not at all necessary to talk about sins in chronological order or according to severity. However, you need to get your thoughts in order in advance. And to make this process easier, make a small “cheat sheet” on paper. Write about what you feel remorse for. And also the events that led you to commit the wrong act. But don’t involve other people in this; you are confessing your sins, not others’. Otherwise, it will not be confession, but condemnation, and this is a new sin. Do not try to justify yourself; on the contrary, you need to condemn, blame and expose your actions more in order to receive forgiveness. Your preparation is a very important part of confession.

The second part is the sacrament itself. Do not be ashamed of your sins before the priest confessing you. Because the priest is only an intermediary between you and God. The secret of confession is sacred; information from confession is not shared with anyone. It is better to confess after the evening service; the priest will be able to give you more attention. Confess your sins openly and in detail. Do not hide anything, you must sincerely regret what you did. Each sin must be discussed separately. It’s not enough to say “sinful”; it’s important to call sins by their names: gluttony, adultery, money-grubbing, pride. To help you collect your thoughts, the priest may ask you whether you have committed a particular sin. If you haven’t done this, then you shouldn’t answer: “maybe, yes.” And also do not talk about what you did not do without asking someone who confesses you, otherwise it will look like boasting.

You shouldn’t talk about the same sin every time if you confessed it once. One should confess with sorrow, regret and contrition for sins, but not with composure or even with a grin. Priests advise confessing at least once every two weeks. No matter what age you come to church, if this is your first confession, then sins starting from the age of seven.

Simple rules for confession

Confession, especially if it is associated with fasting, almsgiving, and fervent prayer, returns a person to the state in which Adam was before the Fall.

You can confess in any setting, but it is generally accepted to confess in church - during a service or at a time specially appointed by the priest. The person confessing must be baptized, a member Orthodox Church, recognizing all the fundamentals of Orthodox doctrine and repenting of their sins.

When preparing for confession, the church charter does not require either a special fast or a special prayer rule - faith and repentance are needed. However, it is recommended to read prayers of repentance, and fasting is also possible.

The penitent must confess his sins. It is necessary to show a general awareness of one’s sinfulness, especially highlighting the passions and infirmities most characteristic of it (for example: lack of faith, love of money, anger, and the like); and also name those specific sins that he sees behind himself, and especially those that weigh most heavily on his conscience.

EIGHT MAIN PASSIONS

(think: don’t these sins burden you)

1 . Gluttony: Binge eating, drunkenness, non-keeping and allowing fasting, secret eating, delicacy, and generally violation of abstinence. Incorrect and excessive love of the flesh, its belly and peace, which constitutes self-love, which leads to failure to remain faithful to God, the Church, virtue and people.

2. Fornication: Prodigal kindling, prodigal sensations and attitudes of the soul and heart. Acceptance of unclean thoughts, conversation with them, delight in them, permission for them, slowness in them. Prodigal dreams and captivities. Failure to preserve feelings, especially touch, is the insolence that destroys all virtues. Foul language and reading voluptuous books. Natural prodigal sins: fornication and adultery. Prodigal sins are unnatural.

3. Love of money: The love of money, in general the love of property, movable and immovable. The desire to get rich. Reflection on the means to enrichment. Dreaming of wealth. Fear of old age, unexpected poverty, illness, exile. Stinginess. Selfishness. Disbelief in God, lack of trust in His Providence. Addictions or painful, excessive love for various perishable objects, depriving the soul of freedom. Passion for vain concerns. Loving gifts. Appropriation of someone else's. Likhva. Cruelty towards the poor brethren and all those in need. Theft. Robbery.

4. Anger: Hot temper, acceptance of angry thoughts: dreams of anger and revenge, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of the mind by it; obscene shouting, argument, swearing, cruel and caustic words, emphasis, pushing, murder. Malice, hatred, enmity, revenge, slander, condemnation, indignation and insult to one’s neighbor.

5. Sadness: Sadness, melancholy, cutting off hope in God, doubt in God’s promises, ingratitude to God for everything that happens, cowardice, impatience, lack of self-reproach, grief towards one’s neighbor, grumbling, renunciation of the cross, an attempt to descend from it.

6. Dejection: Laziness towards everyone good deed, especially to prayer. Abandonment of church and cell rules. Abandonment of unceasing prayer and soul-helping reading. Inattention and haste in prayer. Neglect. Irreverence. Idleness. Excessive calming by sleep, lying down and all kinds of rest. Moving from place to place. Frequent exits from the cell, walks and visits with friends. Celebration. Jokes. Blasphemers. Abandonment of bows and other physical feats. Forgetting your sins. Forgetting the commandments of Christ. Negligence. Captivity. Deprivation of the fear of God. Bitterness. Insensibility. Despair.

7. Vanity: The search for human glory. Boasting. Desire and search for earthly and vain honors. Loving beautiful clothes, carriages, servants and cell belongings. Attention to the beauty of your face, the pleasantness of your voice and other qualities of your body. Disposition towards the dying sciences and arts of this age, the quest to succeed in them in order to acquire temporary, earthly glory. Shame to confess your sins. Hiding them before people and the spiritual father. Craftiness. Self-justification. Disclaimer. Making up your mind. Hypocrisy. Lie. Flattery. People-pleasing. Envy. Humiliation of one's neighbor. Changeability of character. Indulgence. Unconscionability. The character and life are demonic.

8. Pride: Contempt for one's neighbor. Preferring yourself to everyone. Insolence. Darkness, dullness of the mind and heart. Nailing them to the earthly. Hula. Disbelief. False mind. Disobedience to the Law of God and the Church. Following your carnal will. Reading books that are heretical, depraved and vain. Disobedience to authorities. Caustic ridicule. Abandonment of Christ-like humility and silence. Loss of simplicity. Loss of love for God and neighbor. False philosophy. Heresy. Godlessness. Ignorance. Death of the soul.St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

A short list of sins.

  • You need to repent of sins committed in deeds, words, and thoughts.
  • Remember the sins for the time that has passed since the previous confession or, if you have never confessed, for the time that has passed since baptism.
  • If you were baptized in infancy, try to remember from the age of six.
  • "Every minute" and there is no need to remember and tell in detail. Suffice it to say that such and such a sin, one way or another, happened in life. In deed, in word, in thought.
  • In confession, do not make excuses, but only repent.
  • When confessing, try to speak to the point, without being distracted by extraneous topics.
  • Don't hide your sins. This makes confession invalid and doubles the burden of sin on the soul.
  • Don’t try to “get off quickly” by saying: “I’m a sinner in everything!”. You definitely need to figure out what exactly it is in order to identify your spiritual illnesses - the causes life problems, and consciously begin to heal them.
  • Fasting, in the sense of eating, is not required before confession.
  • If you have already confessed some sin and have not committed it again, there is no need to repeat it.
  • It is a sin to continue to worry about something that you have already repented of in confession. This is a manifestation of lack of faith.
  • Unbelief, lack of faith, doubts about the existence of God, about the truth of the Orthodox faith.
  • Failure to comply with God's Law.
  • Offense against God.
  • Insult to God Holy Mother of God, saints, holy Church. Mentioning the Name of God in vain, without reverence.
  • Condemnation of clergy.
  • Caring only about earthly life.
  • Failure to comply with prayer rules, fasting and other church regulations.
  • Non-attendance or rare attendance at the temple.
  • Non-baptism of children. Raising children outside the Orthodox faith.
  • Failure to keep promises made to God.
  • Work on Sundays and major church holidays.
  • Failure to provide prayer assistance to neighbors. Alive and deceased.
  • Non-communion or rare participation in the sacraments of repentance, communion, and unction.
  • Lack of Christian love.
  • Lack of good deeds. Failure to provide all possible assistance to the Church.
  • Committing criminal offenses.
  • Homicide, abortion. Attempted murder or suicide.
  • Pride. Condemnation. Resentment, no desire to reconcile, forgive. Grudge.
  • Envy . Anger, hatred.
  • Lies, deceit.
  • Backbiting, gossip. Swearing, foul language. Causing harm or damage. Insult, insult.
  • Failure to fulfill parental duty. Failure to fulfill a duty to parents
  • Any dishonesty.
  • Lack of mercy, failure to provide assistance to those in need.

Stinginess, greed, money-grubbing, bribery.

  • Extravagance.
  • Erroneous judgments about life, spreading one’s misconceptions.
  • Temptation for any sin. Incorporation, in any form, into misconceptions and false teachings:

different philosophical systems; schisms, heresies and sects in Christianity;

other beliefs - Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and their branches;

about. sects - Satanism, Dianetics (Scientology), Marmons, Jehovah's Witnesses, yoga, meditation, etc., “health” systems, false directions in psychology and

- Superstition. Belief in omens, interpretation of dreams, observance of pagan rituals and holidays.

  • Entering into direct communication with evil spirits. Fortune telling, witchcraft, spells, love spells, magic.
  • Any games and actions with cards.
  • Drinking, drug addiction, smoking.
  • Fornication. (Satisfaction of sexual desire is illegal, that is, outside of marriage or in a perverted form.)
  • Failure to save marriage. Divorce.
  • Dejection, sadness. Gluttony. Laziness. Self-justification.
  • Reluctance to work for one's salvation.

At the end of confession, you can say this: you have sinned in deed, in word, in thoughts, with all the feelings of soul and body. It is impossible to list all my sins, there are so many of them. But I repent of all my sins, both spoken and forgotten.

God! Be merciful to me, a sinner (sinner)

What is the meaning of the Christian life? There may be many answers, but no one will argue that ultimate goal Orthodox Christians see earthly existence in an eternal stay in paradise.

No one knows at what moment a person’s stay on earth may end, so one should be prepared for the transition to another world every second.

What is confession

The best way to get rid of sin is sincere repentance, when the thought of an unclean life becomes disgusting.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9).

The secret of confession in Orthodoxy gives Christians the opportunity to leave all their sins and brings him closer to the Knowledge of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Humble prayer and frequent confession are the results of repentance, real contrition of the spirit, which occurs in a constant struggle with passions.

About other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church:

Christ and the Sinner

Orthodox Christians who are constantly in prayer and repentance, bringing their bad deeds and thoughts to the altar of God's blood, are not afraid of death, for they know that their bad deeds are forgiven during confession.

Confession is a Sacrament, during which, through a priest, as an intermediary, a person communicates with the Creator, renounces his sinful life in repentance and recognition of himself as a sinner.

Any, even the smallest sin, can become a huge lock on the door of eternity. A repentant heart laid at the altar God's love, The Creator holds in His hands, forgiving all sins, without the right to remember them, shortening earthly life and depriving them of eternal stay in paradise.

Bad deeds come from hell; fallen man leads them into the existing world, acting as a guide.

Sincere confession of wrong actions cannot be violent; only through ardent repentance, hatred of the sin committed, dying for it and living in holiness, the Almighty opens His arms.

Forgiveness in Christianity

The secret of confession in Orthodoxy guarantees that everything was said in front of the priest, dies and does not leave the gates of the temple. There are no big or small sins, there are unrepentant sins and self-justification that alienate a person from accepting forgiveness. Through sincere repentance, a person comprehends the mystery of salvation.

Important! The Holy Fathers of the Church forbid remembering sins that were confessed to God in sincere repentance and left forever by a person.

Why do Orthodox Christians confess?

Man consists of spirit, soul and body. Everyone knows that the body will turn to dust, but concern for bodily cleanliness occupies an important place in the life of Christians. The soul, which will meet the Savior at the end of life, also needs to be cleansed from sins.

Only confession of sinful deeds, thoughts, and words can wash away the dirt from the soul. The accumulation of impurities in the soul causes negative emotions:

  • irritation;
  • anger;
  • apathy.

Often Orthodox Christians themselves cannot explain their behavior; they do not even suspect that the cause is unconfessed sins.

A person’s spiritual health and a calm conscience directly depend on the frequency of confessing his vicious inclinations.

Confession accepted by God is directly related, or rather, is the result of sincere repentance. A repentant person sincerely desires to live according to the commandments of the Lord; he is constantly critical of his errors and sins.

Confession in the Orthodox Church

According to Saint Theophan the Recluse, repentance occurs in four stages:

  • realize sin;
  • admit your guilt in committing an offense;
  • decide to permanently break off your relationship with wrong actions or thoughts;
  • tearfully pray to the Creator for forgiveness.
Important! Confession must be spoken out loud, for God knows what is written, but demons hear what is spoken by voice.

In obedience, going to the frank opening of his heart, which occurs in the presence of a priest, a person first of all steps over his pride. Some believers argue that one can confess directly in the presence of the Creator, but according to the laws of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Sacrament of confession is considered legal if it is performed through an intercessor, prayer book and witness in one person, through a clergyman.

The main thing when confessing sins is not the rank of mediator, but the state of the sinner’s heart, his heartfelt contrition and complete renunciation of the committed offense.

What are the rules of confession?

People who wish to perform the Sacrament of Confession approach the priest before or during the Liturgy, but always before the Sacrament of Communion. By prior agreement, priests visit sick people at home.

According to the Church Charter, during the purification of the Orthodox soul there are no reservations regarding fasting or prayer rules, the main thing is that the Christian believes and sincerely repents. People do the right thing when, before coming to church, they spend time recognizing and writing down their sins, but these notes should be left at home.

In front of a priest, as in front of a doctor, they talk about what hurts and torments, and for this you don’t need papers.

Deadly sins include:

  • pride, arrogance, vanity;
  • fornication;
  • desire for someone else's and envy;
  • excessive gratification of one's flesh;
  • unbridled anger;
  • a sad spirit that dries up the bones.
Advice! The priest should not tell the story of the offense committed, the circumstances of its commission, or try to find an excuse for himself. What to say in confession should be considered at home, repenting of every little thing that troubles the heart.

If this is an offense, before going to church, you need to reconcile with the offender and forgive the offending person.

In the presence of a priest, one should name the sins, say that I repent and admit it. In confession, we bring repentant sin to the foot of the great God and ask for forgiveness. Do not confuse a heart-to-heart conversation with a spiritual mentor and the Sacrament of Confession.

When consulting with a counselor, Christians can talk about their problems, ask for advice, and when confessing sins, they should speak clearly, clearly and briefly . God sees a repentant heart, He does not need verbosity.

The Church points out the sin of insensibility during confession, when a person has no fear of the Creator, has little faith, but came to church because everyone came so that his neighbors could see his “piety.”

Cold, mechanical confession without preparation and sincere repentance is considered invalid, it insults the Creator. You can find several priests, say one bad deed to each, but not repent of a single one, “taking on” the sin of hypocrisy and deception.

First confession and preparation for it

Having decided to confess, you should:

  • clearly understand the importance of this event;
  • feel full responsibility before the Almighty;
  • repent of what has been done;
  • forgive all debtors;
  • be filled with faith for forgiveness;
  • state all sins with deep repentance.

The first appearance of petition and repentance will force you to mentally “shovel” your life from the point of view of repentance, if the desire for repentance is sincere. At the same time, you should constantly pray, ask God to open the darkest corners of your soul, and bring all bad deeds to the light of God.

Sacrament of Repentance

It is a mortal sin to come to confession and then take communion with unforgiveness in your soul. The Bible writes that people who come to communion unworthily get sick and die. (1 Cor. 11:27-30)

Holy Scripture affirms that God forgives any repentant sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:30-32)

If the crime committed is very great, then after confession before communion of the Blood of Jesus, the priest can assign penance - punishment in the form of many bows, many hours of reading the canons, intense fasting and pilgrimage to holy places. It is impossible not to perform penance; it can be canceled by the priest who imposed the punishment.

Important! After confession they do not always receive communion, and it is impossible to receive Communion without confession.

Prayers before confession and communion: Christ knocks on the door

Only pride and false shame, which also refers to pride, hide the importance of complete trust in the Creator in His mercy and forgiveness. Righteous shame is born of conscience, it is given by the Creator; a sincere Christian will always strive to clear his conscience as soon as possible.

What to say to the priest

When going to confession for the first time, you should remember that what lies ahead is not a meeting with a clergyman, but with the Creator Himself.

When cleansing your soul and heart from a sinful inheritance, you should admit your guilt in contrition, humility and reverence, while not touching on the sins of other people. They themselves will give an answer to the Creator. One must confess in firm faith that Jesus came to save and wash His children from sinful deeds and thoughts with His blood.

Opening your heart to God, you must repent not only of obvious sins, but of those good deeds, which could have been done for people, the church, the Savior, but were not done.

Neglect of a task entrusted to you is an abomination to God.

Jesus, by His earthly death, proved that the path of purification is open to everyone, promising the thief who recognized Him as God, the Kingdom of Heaven.

God does not look at the number of bad deeds on the day of confession, He sees a repentant heart.

A sign of forgiven sin will be a special peace in the heart, tranquility. At this time, the angels sing to Heaven, rejoicing at the salvation of another soul.

How to prepare for confession? Archpriest John Pelipenko

The Orthodox faith teaches Christians how to confess correctly. This ritual is associated with ancient events, when the Apostle Peter left the bishop’s house and retired into seclusion 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 confess correctly in church, it is necessary to prepare the soul and body, and then we will tell you how to do this.

Before you go to church, try to understand a few things for yourself 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 go to confession?

Confession means a sincere conversation with God through the mediation of a priest. According to church canons, people 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 get married also begin confession before God.

How often should you go to confession?

It depends on a person’s true desire and his personal willingness to talk 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 us. Some people confess every month, others before big holidays, and some during Orthodox fasts and before their birthday. Here The main thing is to understand why I need this, what positive lesson this can teach me in the future.

How to confess, what to say?

Here it is important to address the priest sincerely, without false shame. What does this statement mean? A person who has decided to sincerely repent must not just list what sins he has committed for lately and even more so, immediately look for an excuse for them.

Remember, you came to church not to hide your bad deeds, but to to receive the blessing of the holy father and begin your new, spiritual life.

If you have been wanting to confess for a long time, you can calmly think about what to say to the priest at home in advance. Better yet, write it down on paper. Place the “10 Commandments” in front of you, remember the 7 deadly sins.

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

How should you dress for confession?

The robe should be simple, meeting all the laws of Christianity. For women - a closed blouse, a skirt or dress no higher than the knee, and a headscarf is required. For men - trousers, shirt. Be sure to remove your headdress.

Is it possible to confess at home?

Of course, God hears our prayers everywhere and, as a rule, forgives us in case of true repentance. However in church we can receive that very grace-filled power, which will help us fight temptations in subsequent situations. We are embarking on 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 church, requires some preparation.

First, you need to prepare yourself mentally. It would be right if you spend some time alone with yourself, turn to the Lord in 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 and comes to the Lord through forgiveness. You can start confession without communion, but your faith in the Lord must be unshakable.

Secondly, it is best to agree on the holding of the Sacrament of Confession in advance. On the appointed day, come to the church for the 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 making confession for the first time.
  2. The priest will read 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 lectern 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 your turn comes, tell about your sins with sincere repentance, without going into unnecessary details and details.
  6. You can write down on a piece of paper what you would like to say.
  7. Do not be afraid and do not be embarrassed - Confession is given in order to gain God's grace, repent for what you have done and never repeat it again.
  8. At the end of the conversation, the confessor kneels down, and the priest covers his head with an epitrachelion - a special fabric - and reads a prayer of permission.
  9. After this, you must kiss the Holy Cross and the Gospel as a sign of love for the Lord.

How to take communion in church?

To modern man it is also very important to know how to take communion in church, since the Sacrament of Communion in the Holy Chalice connects a Christian with God and strengthens true faith into Him. Communion was established 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 among the apostles, and they drank it as the blood of the Lord shed for the sins of mankind.

When 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 role in a person’s life. important role as a wedding or baptism ceremony. You are not supposed to take communion without confession because their relationship is very strong. Repentance or confession clears the conscience and makes our soul bright before the eyes of the Lord. That's why communion follows confession.

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

How to prepare for the sacrament of communion?

  1. Before communion it is necessary to pray fervently, read spiritual literature and keep a three-day fast.
  2. The night before, it is recommended to attend the evening service, where you can also make confession.
  3. On the day of communion, you must come to the morning Liturgy.
  4. After singing the Lord's Prayer, the Holy Chalice is brought to the altar.
  5. Children receive communion first, then adults.
  6. You must 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 - drinks water or wine from the Chalice.
  8. After which the bottom of the Cup should be kissed.

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

Those who for the first time in their lives will take part in one of the most important Christian sacraments, they wonder what words to start confessing to the priest with. A person who wants to repent and may not know how to talk about his sins.

Famous church leader In modern times, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) identified two options for constructing a confession:

  • according to the ten commandments;
  • according to the beatitudes.

In his book on confession, the hierarch gives an example of how one can make confession and repent of one’s sins. The Archimandrite analyzes each of the commandments and describes what duties Christians must have before God according to these commandments. John points out to readers the mistakes in everyday life that lead to forgetting the faith.

He analyzes the Beatitudes and points out what people neglect. Considering the second beatitude (“blessed are those who mourn”), he asks the reader whether he has mourned the desecration of God’s image in himself, his unchristian life, and his outbursts of pride and anger. He shows readers how far they stand from the stages of moral perfection.

This book is recognized good guide, explaining what should be considered a sin in human life. But it cannot be an instruction on what to say. The repentant must choose the words that will come from his heart and sincerely desire to repent.

Preparing for confession and conducting it

A person who wants to confess for the first time must carefully remember all the sins he has committed. For convenience, he can make a note that will allow him not to forget anything during the sacrament. He can talk in advance with the clergyman, who will set up a time for him during general confession or specially.

People confess to the clergy on a first-come, first-served basis. The visitor must wait his turn. After this, he turns to those gathered and asks them for forgiveness for their sins. They say that God will forgive, and they forgive him. After this, the confessor goes to the clergyman.

A person approaches the analogue, crosses himself, bows, and then begins to confess. Approaching the priest, he must turn to God and say that he has sinned before Him. At the beginning he can introduce himself to the priest professing him, but this can also be done at the end, when the clergyman must call his name in prayer. Next comes the time for listing sins, the story about each of which should begin with the word: “sinned.”

Also, approaching the lectern, the believer can say “The servant of God (servant of God) is confessed” and name the name. Then say “I repent of my sins” and begin listing them.

When the penitent finishes listing his sins, he must listen to the word of the priest, who can forgive him his sins or assign punishment for a layman (penance). After this, the person is baptized again, bows, and venerates the Gospel and the Cross.

Confession is one of the most important sacraments in the life of a Christian. New converts and those who came late to the faith often have the question of what words to begin confession to the priest with. . A person must show that he has realized his sinful life and wants to change.