Confession and the sacrament are the most important Christian sacraments established originally by Jesus Christ. This is an opportunity to repent of your sins, to correct your life and to keep it clean. How to prepare for confession and communion to a person who is going to perform this sacrament for the first time is a very serious question.
First of all, there is no need to be afraid of anything. Many parishioners do not confess for many years out of a sense of false shame, when they are afraid to aloud to expose to the priest sins. They do not understand that the Lord already sees and knows everything, and He only needs our repentance and desire to change his life, to make it better. This can be done only by clearing the burden of the past.
Suppose a person decided to repent and be cleansed of sins, but he does it for the first time and does not know how to prepare. Confession and communion must be approached with a pure body and soul. You need to prepare for this in advance, at least a week in advance. First of all, put your thoughts and feelings in order. The morning and evening prayers are very helpful in this , to which it will be useful to add the daily reading of the Penitent Canon, which is in the prayer book, throughout the week.
If you confess for the first time, you need to remember all the wrongdoings and sins from the age of seven. This is serious work, and it would be better to write everything down on a piece of paper so as not to miss anything. At this point, you are already beginning the path to repentance.
Every day prayers before confession and communion should be imbued with special attention and humility. In everyday life, also watch your speech, do not swear, do without condemnation, gossip and slander. Try to give up entertainment, theater, cinema, TV. A calm and focused inner life throughout the week will help you tune in.
How to prepare physically for confession and communion? Fast this week or at least the last three days, refusing any animal food (meat, fish, milk and dairy products, eggs, butter). Eat moderately. Give up marital affinity.
They go to confession before the sacrament either in the evening service, or in the morning, immediately before the sacrament. Regardless of when you confess, evening service is imperative. Now about turning to God. Prayer before confession and communion is special. In addition to the evening rule, it is recommended
read the Penitent canon, the prayer canon for the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as for the Guardian Angel. In the evening on the eve of the sacrament after twelve and before the adoption of the sacrament, it is necessary to refuse food and drink, and smokers - from tobacco. In the morning, after reading the
morning prayers, the Follow to Holy Communion is read. All canons are in the Orthodox prayer book.
Confessing and taking communion, keep the joy of this day as long as possible - spend it calmly and without fuss, foul language and gossip. Upon returning home from the temple, read the Prayer of Thanksgiving after communion.
How to prepare for confession and communion is now clear. Many are interested in how often it is necessary to begin these sacraments. Opinions are different. One of the priests answered this question this way: “And how often do you go to the bathhouse to cleanse the body? Does not our soul deserve an even more reverent attitude towards itself? ”How often it is necessary to purify the soul, everyone decides for himself.