Today, many people attend church, and this is especially noticeable on the holidays of Easter, Christmas or Epiphany. However, not everyone who often attends divine services knows the order of the sacrament of confession. Often, when a person encounters this ritual for the first time, he is completely at a loss: what to say, how to behave, what is considered a sin and what is not? In addition, faced with the need to enumerate their sins, many do not know where to start, feel embarrassed before the priest, since they can not confess all the innermost secrets. These and many other questions require clarification and reflection, because when coming to confession, you need to understand: what is the purpose and meaning of repentance.
About the purpose of confession
There are no absolutely sinless people in this world: we all, one way or another, perform actions based on our interests, often not entirely pious withmoral point of view. Coming to church, we are present at the service, we perform the rituals established by the rules, we even go to confession. Leaving the temple, for some time we are under the impression of the promises that we made to ourselves, standing in front of the image of the Savior. And then, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, everything returns to normal until the next service. This is the reality for many people in today's world.
Most often, a person begins to regularly visit the temple and become interested in the life of the soul when misfortune happens to him or his loved ones. Good or bad - it's not about that, but about the fact that our body is a temple for the soul. And she needs attention and care, including cleansing, which happens when she repents for major sins at confession.
Test for the soul
Confession is not just a checkbox, after which you can return to the old way of thinking and acting. Purification of the soul requires serious work on oneself, including overcoming internal barriers. Everyone who at least once went through this rite experienced both fear and joy at the same time. This is due to the fact that confession combines a person's desire to repent, confession of major sins, and repentance itself. After passing through this rite, the soul is cleansed, and the person approaches God, whose invisible support gives strength to resist temptations.
Every Christian on a subconscious level knows that by transgressing the law of God, he harms both his soul and body. That is why purification through repentance is so important. However, it often happensso that, when approaching a priest for confession, a person from excitement forgets everything that he was going to confess. Therefore, you should prepare for the sacrament, and special literature can help in this, in which you can find out the answers to your questions about confession: how to confess correctly, basic sins, etc. The main condition for this is your sincerity.
Preparing for the Sacrament
If you feel that your soul needs cleansing, you can come to church to perform the ceremony: most likely, the priest will listen to you and give you the necessary advice. However, it would be better to prepare for visiting the temple, in particular, fast for some time, as well as read special prayers, get acquainted with the necessary literature that will help you make a list of the main sins at confession.
It used to be thought that one should help beggars. But today's realities are such that you cannot be sure that people who beg for alms actually need it and are not professional beggars. Therefore, you can simply find out about those who need help and provide it without putting this good deed on public display.
If you have completed the preliminary preparation for confession, then go to the temple, ask the priest when you can go through the rite of purification of the soul, and come at the appointed time. Usually those who want to confess stay after the service.
However, every parish has a phone number that will provide you with all the necessary information.
And one more thing: to the sacrament of confessionbaptized, believing Christians who attend church and wish to cleanse their souls from the sins that burden them are allowed.
The concept of sin
When a person again and again commits acts that are considered, according to the Bible, major sins, this is a clear sign that he has formed an addiction, which is also called passion. The etymology of the word "passion" goes back to the concept of "suffering", and the derivative of them is "passion-bearer", or one who endures torment and suffers. But these sufferings are not so much bodily as mental, as a person is tormented by the realization of his break with God and his law.
And the salvation of the soul is possible only through repentance and a sincere desire to get rid of sinful addiction. Examples of such vices that completely enslave a person are alcohol and drug addiction, which gradually corrode both the body and the soul, completely destroying the personality. And the perniciousness of passions lies in the fact that they pose a danger not only to those who are possessed, but also to their entire environment, including children, corrupting their souls. This is the main sign of basic sins.
The path of enslavement
The voice of vice is always insinuating: it knows how to lull vigilance, cloud the mind, knock the system of values out from under the feet, making the process of enslaving the soul imperceptible. A person just really wants to satisfy one of his passions, perhaps at first just out of curiosity. But then the second step is taken, and now it becomes a style of existence, and the next step creates dependence on a harmfulneeds. And now the person ceases to manage his life, finding himself in complete submission to sin.
This is slavery, which is true hell: feelings die off, and therefore crimes are easily committed; the body rots, becoming part of the process of decay alive, but nevertheless requires all new satisfaction of passion.
It seems that there is no end to this, and nothing can resist the sinful essence that has forced out the soul. And yet, confession of basic sins can help here. How is it right to confess in such severe cases, when medicine is already powerless? First of all, start with knowing yourself and taking care of the salvation of your soul. The great righteous believed that the example of one who was able to save himself helps many around to receive salvation.
Overcoming pain
The development of the soul often occurs through the pain associated with the rejection of what has already outlived its time. The realization of this comes, including at the moment of repentance, when we realize our main sins. The priests understand this, and therefore they apply a special approach to everyone who comes to confession, depending on the strength of the Christian's spirit.
The purpose of the shepherd is not to condemn and aggravate suffering, but to direct the soul to the righteous path. Often, for this, many do not have enough willpower, or faith in themselves, or the desire to forgive themselves. And the meaning of confession also lies in merciful forgiveness, which is bestowed by the Lord, but voiced by the clergyman. Having received the remission of basic sins, a person also receives the strength to transform the soul. Change happens gradually: you need to come toconfession at least once a month, and then there will be a conscious need for purification of the soul.
The value of sincerity cannot be overestimated: some cunning people practice confession of various sins with several priests, and there are those who hide the truth. In such cases, confession is useless, and only increases the amount of a person's basic sins.
For the good of your soul, you need to take the sacrament seriously: if you cannot open yourself to one priest, choose another one you will trust and who will guide you on the path of spiritual development.
Sins and vices
Simply listing a list of major sins prepared in advance, even if it is compiled with knowledge of the matter and using church literature, is not enough. In Christianity, the unity of feelings and their verbal expression is of great importance. Through emotions, a person opens the soul to the Creator. Therefore, repentance for basic sins in Orthodoxy is inseparable from the awareness of their heart.
It also happens that a person lists his vices, but, in fact, he cannot say them out loud in front of a stranger: a feeling of shame and guilt interferes. The priest, seeing the sincere repentance of a Christian, has the right to tear up the prepared list, even without reading it, and let go of sins.
Christian literature lists the main sins for confession in Orthodoxy. The list is quite extensive, providing for different aspects of human life. It consists of seven major sins, against which the 10 commandments are presented. continuationmajor vices are sins of lesser severity, which in the long run develop into major sins.
The main sins in Orthodoxy are: pride (arrogance, arrogance); greed (greed or bribery); envy (constant comparison of oneself with someone, the desire to own something that others have); anger (negative, uncontrollable feeling, anticipating the manifestation of aggression); lust (gross sensual attraction, corrupting the heart); gluttony ("gluttony", gluttony); laziness or discouragement (lack of desire to work or self-withdrawal from life obligations).
There is an eighth sin mentioned by Christian authors - sadness (leaving hope in the Lord, doubting His strength, grumbling at fate, cowardice).
8 or 7 major sins?
Eight sins were present in early Christian sources. Eastern Christian monks adhered to the same concept. There is a work by the Christian author Evagrius of Pontus en titled "On the Eight Evil Thoughts", where the meaning of the teaching is succinctly conveyed, and 8 major mortal sins are listed in the following sequence: 1 - gluttony, 2 - fornication, 3 - love of money, 4 - sadness, 5 - anger, 6 - despondency, 7 - vanity, 8 - pride. The ancient author warns that these thoughts and inclinations will disturb a person in any case, but it is in his (human) power to cope with them and block the possibility of the emergence of passions and vices.
Later, the sin of sadness was removed from the list, leaving 7 major sins.
WesternChristianity
Catholics before the 4th century, that is, before the transformation of Pope Gregory I, nicknamed the Great, also had 8 deadly sins.
However, in his "Moral Interpretations" Gregory I proposed to consider sadness and despondency as one sin, as well as vanity with pride. Envy joined the list of vices, and pride, which has since been considered the main sin among Catholics, was at the head of it. In addition, the "sins of the flesh" in the list of Pope Gregory I are at the last position.
The Path of Orthodoxy
Only in the 18th century did the concept of "mortal sin" take root in Russia, in particular, thanks to Bishop Tikhon of Zadonsk, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
The main mortal sins in Orthodoxy today are seven, all of them are the worst possible vices and destructive for the human soul. To receive forgiveness for committing each of them is possible only through repentance.
Opens the list of deadly sins anger, from which come resentment, curses, hatred, malice, etc. Anger destroys love, which is God. That is why in Orthodoxy anger is the first mortal sin.
List of vices
So, you prepared for the sacrament of confession: you fasted, read prayers, provided all possible assistance to those in need, read relevant literature, including about the main human vices, the seven deadly sins, with the help of which you compiled your list of sins with which you will come to the temple.
By the way, you should come to the temple in properclothes, women - without make-up and with hair covered with a scarf, preferably in a skirt no higher than the knees. It is somehow inconvenient to remind about the pectoral cross - this is a must.
The main sins of general confession, which concern both men and women, are a rather long list, starting with spiritual crimes against the Lord: doubting His power, unbelief, neglecting to bear the cross, silence while reviling the Creator, mentioning the name Lord for no reason (except for prayer or theological conversations), as well as swearing in His name.
Next on the list are various, as they say now, psychic hobbies, in particular, magic, the occult, etc.
Third place: gambling, suicidal thoughts, using swear words.
Fourth place: lack of interest in spiritual and Christian life, gossip and unworthy talk about the clergy, idle thoughts during worship.
Fifth place: wasting time, aimlessly sitting at the TV or computer.
In sixth place: falling into despair, disbelief in the Creator's help, relying only on yourself or someone else. Lies in confession.
In seventh place: committing any major sins, including against neighbors.
In eighth place: non-repayment of debt, disrespect to parents, drinking alcohol at the wake, the same applies to "Parents Day".
In ninth place: driving to suicide, including by spreading gossip; termination of the life of one's own child in the womb (for women) orforcing others to kill an unborn child (for men); sins aimed at harming oneself: drug addiction, alcoholism, incest, self-satisfaction. Also, showing off your pious deeds.
The list of major confessional sins for women includes some items that cause embarrassment, due to which many parishioners avoid this rite. However, not all sources purchased from church shops should be trusted. First of all, pay attention to the presence of the inscription "Recommended by the publishing council of the Russian Orthodox Church".
The issues of abortion are quite intimate, but you can, after consulting with your doctor, take drugs that prevent the emergence of a new life. Then the sin of murder will not happen.
For women, the list of sins looks like this: neglect of the spiritual, Christian side of life; had sex before marriage; she did abortions herself, persuaded someone to them; the presence of impure thoughts fueled by pornographic films or books. She spread gossip, lied, indulged in despondency, resentment, anger, laziness. Exposed her body for show to seduce someone; allowed thoughts of suicide; experienced fear of old age; committed the sin of gluttony; hurt yourself in some other way; refused to help those in need; used the services of fortune-tellers, believed in omens.
And, of course, divulging the secret of confession is a serious crime for a priest. In addition, the church does not violate the boundaries of marital relations, forexcept in cases related to the theme of the seven major sins committed by spouses against each other, such as anger resulting in life-threatening beatings.
It is best for a woman or man to choose a permanent spiritual guide.
In the list of sins for men, one should highlight such as sacrilege, exposure to the sin of anger and all its consequences; neglect of duties, seducing someone to fornication or other sins associated with the self-destruction of a person; theft, aimless hoarding. The main list of sins can be found above.
Children can be introduced to the sacrament of confession from the age of seven. This should be the concern of the godmother or godfather: it is they who are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their godson or goddaughter. Until the age of seven, a child can attend the temple and take communion without confession.
When preparing a son or daughter for confession, it is necessary to explain to him (her) the concepts of repentance, sin and its consequences in terms accessible to the child's mind. Don't over-complicate the conversation, just give it a little direction. Visiting the temple should not be a heavy duty, but become a spiritual need for a little Christian. The same goes for reading prayers and memorizing them.
Justification or humility
The sacrament of confession involves repentance and the intention to lead a different way of life. Confessing your sins, do not look for excuses for them, show humility and awareness of their detriment to your soul. If you decideto radically change your life, then you will eventually need to analyze your actions and the thoughts that preceded them.
Many do not understand: why repent in the church, if the same thing can be done alone, without the participation of third parties? The answer is this: in the presence of a priest, the husk flies off your soul, only your essence remains. You feel shame more acutely and more sincerely than face-to-face with yourself, and your repentance will be much deeper, as well as responsibility for subsequent actions.
If you regularly confess, it may happen that there is a repetition of the sins listed in the previous confession. You need to confess to them again, given that this will be considered a more serious offense than last time.
In confession, you should speak in simple language, without allegories or hints, so that the priest understands the essence of God's commandments you violated. The sacrament is considered complete when the priest breaks your list of sins. This means that you have received the remission of sins. In this case, an epitrachelion will be lowered on your head, after which the holy cross and the Gospel will be kissed, symbolizing the invisible presence of the Creator.
There are times when the remission of sins is preceded by the performance of penance. Its form and duration is determined by your confessor. You may be ordered to recite certain prayers, fast or otherwise. After performing penance, you must again go through the rite of confession and receive absolutionsins.
It may happen that you or your loved ones cannot come to the temple due to illness. The priest will take confession at home.
Two Commandments
How often can you hear that there are too many restrictions in church rules, fulfilling which, we will only feel guilty and ashamed! You can look at it differently: do you protest when you see a warning sign "Don't get in - it will kill you!" or similar? And if this announcement is not made, and you are injured, then your first question will be: "Why didn't anyone warn me about this danger?" And this outrage is completely justified. Only it concerns the safety of your body.
The Church is called to care for your soul. And in this context, the announcements "Thou sh alt not kill!", "Thou sh alt not steal!", "Thou sh alt not covet thy neighbor's wife" and other commandments guard your mental he alth, as well as those who are dear to you.
When the soul of a Christian plunges into temptations and becomes a slave of sin, it loses its connection with the Creator and is deprived of the opportunity to fulfill its destiny. The very essence of faith lies in two commandments. The first of them says: "Love the Lord your God," and the second continues: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus Christ spoke about the fact that it is on these two commandments that the Christian faith is based.
True love is impossible in conjunction with addiction to vices. And only having freed from them, a person is given to experience the great happiness of unity with the Creator. It's long and harda journey perhaps a lifetime.
Today, the cult of freedom is proclaimed everywhere: from obligations, from borders, from belonging to a certain gender, from ancestral memory, from the laws of honor, from conscience, from mercy … The list can be continued, and it is constantly updated. The bottom line is that in this way we may well lose ourselves in the process of freeing ourselves from the values that our ancestors defended for centuries.
In matters of faith there can be no violence, it remained in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, everyone decides for himself: what to do with his soul. In the end, you can forget about it altogether: this is not a material category. And here everyone is free to choose.
