The need for repentance is completely natural for a believer and a church person. Those who go to church very rarely and draw their ideas about religious life from rumors and news portals most often believe that the holy sacraments are an empty formality and a non-binding ritual.
The well-known satirist, obviously wanting to be known as a progressive and once again demonstrate his own wit, agreed to the fact that "he does not need intermediaries between himself and God." That's it, he is ready to chat with him directly, as with a friend, without any church "fig-migley" there.
The explanation for the unwillingness to confess, as a rule, is sought not in one's own spiritual laziness, but in the absence of time and violations of religious and ethical norms worthy of their scale. "I don't sin!" - in itself, such a statement testifies to pride, which is in the first place in the list of mortal sins, since it is it that pushes a person to all the others.
Kbesides, many do not know how to confess correctly, what to say, and how to prepare for this sacrament, and instead of learning about it, they are embarrassed to admit their ignorance, often even in adulthood. And only after experiencing real grief, some of us rush to the temple. As it turns out, there are more than enough sins, and there is something to tell the priest about.
But it's not difficult to learn how to confess correctly. What can I say, the decision is serious, and at first causes timidity. It is difficult to admit that one is wrong in front of relatives or subordinates in the service whom one has offended. In our "civilized society" the opinion is cultivated that by apologizing to those whom a person considers below himself, he drops his authority and loses all respect. In fact, this is not so, but quite the contrary, it is very difficult to simply defeat one's own pride.
But besides moral barriers, there are also "technical" barriers. Preparation for the ceremony includes a three-day fast, in addition, you need to come to the service early in the morning, and before that, find out in the church the days when the sacrament is performed. To find out how to confess correctly, what to say and how to act, you can turn to acquaintances and friends, they will advise. But, in general, there are no special rules. Arriving at the service, you need to defend it in fervent prayer and stand in the general queue. You shouldn't hurry. In churches, it is not uncommon for a priest to refuse to confess those who quarreled because of the queue.
It will be very useful for a parishioner if hehe will first make a list of his own sins and even sketch it out on paper, referring to the Commandments and the list of mortal sins. No need to dissemble, you can deceive not only the priest (he is a living person), but even yourself, only God cannot be deceived. In the process of waiting, you can look at the example of others how to confess correctly. What to say, you need to decide on your own, but the main thing is that the speech be sincere and contain repentance. It is absolutely unacceptable to boast of your “daring” and justify your own actions by the fact that someone “started it first”. Of course, there is a secret of confession, and you don’t have to worry about the fact that information about sins will become known to someone. The priest should not be burdened with the consequences of his own sins, especially since the people around him are also not always blind and can learn about a bad deed from their sources.
After confession, penance can be imposed in the form of reading prayers or additional fasting, but it is not customary to issue indulgences in the Orthodox Church, so repentance must be accompanied by a renunciation of further unworthy behavior, otherwise any absolution ceases to operate. Confession is a conversation with God for the purpose of reconciliation, and the mood should be appropriate, like everyone who asks for forgiveness. God bless you!
