Reconciliation with God is an important part of the practical faith in Orthodoxy. Here, unlike Catholicism, a person talks about his sins with the priest face to face. It is important to remember that you confess sins not to this particular priest, but to Christ himself. The king of heaven stands invisibly next to the cross and the Bible when you talk about your mistakes. Do I need a list of sins for confession and how to compile it?
Beginner
If you are going to repent for the first time, you do not have to write a long list of your sins. Often it is enough to just talk about what disturbs the conscience. Even if you do not know the exact church name for sin, do not be afraid to tell in your own words what seems wrong. Your moral sense, most likely, does not fail. If you are too critical of yourself, the priest will help you figure out what exactly was done wrong. For the first confession, it is better to choose a moment when there are not many people who want to repent.
Different approaches
The list of sins for confession is best prepared for the second time. The first time you talk about the most sick - and get forgiveness. And then you can read the confessional preparation manuals, which are sold in almost every church shop. This is not to say that a particular manual is clearly better than another. But after gaining experience, people have preferences. Some are prepared according to the comments on the commandments, some prefer a detailed list of the School of Penance (sold on DVD), while others are helped by books. It is best to try different methods.
It's hard to find a confessor
Why is preparation for confession important? The list of sins allows you not to forget about the important. In addition to the sheet of sins, it is advisable to make brief comments in order to emphasize and highlight the sins that concern you the most. Some priests, by virtue of employment, require that only the name of sin be called, but it is better if the priest knows the circumstances (in short). Usually a person receives such attention from his spiritual father, but it is difficult to find precisely because of the depth of communication and the increased requirements for such a level of interaction of the spiritual father. The list of sins for confession needs to be read out completely, varying the detail of the story depending on the requirements of your conscience.
The most serious sins
What are the main human sins? You need to know the list, although it is better not to discuss some sins aloud. The worst thing is pride, always leading to a fall. It usually starts with gluttony (alcoholism and smoking are also included here). The thirst for fornication can satisfy a person who has satisfied the desires of his womb. Others suffer from love of money. Anger is walking beside the love of money as the inability to control oneself, leading to trouble. Even successful people living without God are often tormented by envy. All these sins hurt primarily the sinner himself, destroy his soul to the ground, and therefore are called mortals.
The list of sins for confession, some priests tear to pieces after the sacrament. This allows a person to psychologically free themselves from sin and strive for the ideal of Christian morality, gaining new strength.