Today, many people attend church, and this is especially noticeable on Easter, Christmas, or Epiphany. However, not every one of those who often attend divine services knows the order of the sacrament of confession. Often, when a person first encounters this rite, 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 list their sins, many do not know where to start, feel embarrassed by the priest, since not all secret secrets can be recognized. These and many other questions require clarification and reflection, because when you come 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: all of us, one way or another, perform actions based on our interests, which are often not entirely pious in terms of morality. When we come to church, we are attending a service, performing rituals established by the rules, and even confessing. When we leave the temple, for some time we are impressed by the promises 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 a reality for many people in the modern 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 relatives. For better or worse, this is 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 of her basic sins in confession.
Test for the soul
Confession is not just an event for show, after which you can return to the previous way of thinking and acting. Purification of the soul requires serious work on oneself, including overcoming the internal barriers. Everyone who at least once passed through this ritual experienced both fear and joy. This is due to the fact that confession combines the desire of a person to repent, the confession of basic sins and repentance itself. Having passed through this rite, the soul is purified, and a person draws near to God, whose invisible support gives strength to resist temptations.
Every Christian on a subconscious level knows that, breaking the law of God, he harms both his soul and body. Therefore, cleansing through repentance is so important. However, it often happens that when approaching a priest for confession, a person forgets from excitement everything he was about to admit. Therefore, you should prepare for the sacrament, and special literature can help in this, in which you can find answers to questions of confession that concern you: how to confess correctly, basic sins, etc. The main condition is your sincerity.
Preparation for the sacrament
If you feel that your soul needs purification, then 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 more correct to prepare for visiting the temple, in particular, to observe fasting for some time, as well as read special prayers, familiarize yourself with the necessary literature that will help you make a list of the main sins in confession.
It used to be that charity beggars should be helped. But today's realities are such that you cannot be sure that people who ask for alms really 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 ceremony of cleansing the soul, and come at the appointed time. Typically, those who wish to confess remain after the service.
However, at any parish there is a phone number by which you will be provided with all the necessary information.
And another thing: the sacrament of confession is allowed for baptized, faithful Christians who attend church and wish to cleanse their souls from their sins that burden them.
The concept of sin
When a person again and again commits acts that are, according to the Bible, the main sins, this is a clear sign that he has formed a relationship, 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 suffers torment and suffering. But this suffering is not so much physical as mental, since a person suffers from 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 dependence. Examples of such vices completely enslaving a person are alcohol and drug addiction, which gradually corrode both the body and soul, completely destroying the personality. And the perniciousness of the passions lies in the fact that they pose a danger not only to one who is possessed, but also to his 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, blur the mind, knock out the value system from underneath, making the process of enslaving the soul invisible. 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 this becomes the style of existence, and the next step creates a dependence on harmful needs. And then the person ceases to control his life, finding himself in complete submission to sin.
This is slavery, which is a true hell: feelings die out, and therefore crimes are easily committed; the body rots, becoming part of the decomposition process alive, but nevertheless requires an ever new satisfaction of passion.
It seems that there is no end to this, and nothing can resist the sinful essence that replaced the soul. Nevertheless, confession of basic sins can help here. How to confess correctly in such severe cases, when medicine is already powerless? First of all, start with knowing yourself and taking care of saving your soul. The great righteous believed that the example of one who could be saved himself helps to save many around.
Overcoming pain
The development of the soul often occurs through pain associated with the rejection of what has already outlived its term. Awareness of this comes also at the moment of repentance, when we are aware of our basic sins. The priests understand this, and therefore they take a special approach to everyone who comes to confession, depending on the strength of the spirit of the Christian.
The goal of the shepherd is not to condemn and aggravate suffering, but to direct the soul to the righteous path. Often, for this, many lack neither willpower, nor self-confidence, nor the desire to forgive themselves. And the meaning of confession consists in including the merciful forgiveness, which is granted by the Lord, but voiced by the clergyman. Having received the remission of basic sins, a person receives strength for the transformation of the soul. Changes occur gradually: it is necessary to come to confession at least once a month, and then there will be a conscious need for the purification of the soul.
The significance of sincerity cannot be overestimated: some clever people practice confession in different sins among several priests, and there are those who hide the truth. In such cases, confession is useless, and only increases the number of basic sins of man.
For the good of your soul, you need to seriously approach the sacrament: if you cannot open yourself to one priest, choose another one whom you will trust and who will begin to guide you on the path of spiritual development.
Sins and vices
It’s not enough to simply list the list of basic sins prepared in advance, even if it is compiled competently and using church literature. In Christianity, the unity of feelings and their verbal expression is of great importance. Through emotions, a person opens his soul to the Creator. Therefore, repentance of fundamental sins in Orthodoxy is inseparable from the awareness of their hearts.
It also happens that a person listed his vices, but, in fact, cannot pronounce them aloud before a stranger: a sense of shame and guilt interferes. The father, seeing the sincere repentance of the Christian, has the right to break the prepared list, even without reading it, and to release the sins.
The 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 basic sins, in contrast to which the 10 commandments are presented. Continuation of the main vices are sins of a lesser degree of severity, which in the future grow into the main sins.
The main sins in Orthodoxy are: pride (arrogance, arrogance); greed (money-grubbing or bribery); envy (constant comparison of oneself with someone, the desire to possess something that others have); anger (negative, uncontrolled feeling, anticipating the manifestation of aggression); lust (gross sensual attraction, corrupting the heart); gluttony ("gluttony", gluttony); laziness or despondency (lack of desire to work or self-removal from life's obligations).
There is the eighth sin mentioned by Christian authors - sadness (abandonment of hope in the Lord, doubt of His power, murmuring on fate, cowardice).
8 or 7 major sins?
The sources of early Christianity included eight sins. Oriental Christian monks adhered to the same concept. There is a work by the Christian author Evagrius of Pontius entitled “On the eight evil thoughts,” where the meaning of the doctrine 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 in his (person's) power to cope with them and block the possibility of passions and vices.
Later, the sin of sorrow was removed from the list, and 7 main sins remained.
Western christianity
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 led it, which has since been considered the main sin among Catholics. In addition, the "sins of the flesh" in the list of Pope Gregory I are in 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 Zadonsky, canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
There are seven major mortal sins in Orthodoxy today, all of which are the worst of all possible vices and destructive to the human soul. Forgiveness for the commission of each of them is possible only by repentance.
Opens the list of deadly sins anger, from which there are resentment, curses, hatred, anger, etc. Anger destroys the love that is God. That is why in Orthodoxy, anger is the first mortal sin.
List of vices
So, you have prepared for the sacrament of confession: fasting, reading prayers, rendering all possible assistance to those in need, reading relevant literature, including the basic human vices, the seven deadly sins, with the help of which you have compiled your list of sins with which you will come to the temple.
By the way, one should come to the temple in proper clothing, for women - without makeup and with hair covered with a scarf, preferably in a skirt no higher than the knees. It’s also inconvenient to remind of the pectoral cross - this is mandatory.
The main sins of the general confession, which concern both men and women, are a rather long list starting with spiritual crimes against the Lord: doubts about His strength, disbelief, neglect to bear the cross, silence during the reproach of the Creator, mentioning the name of the Lord for no reason (except prayers or theological conversations), as well as oaths in His name.
Further on the list are various, as they say now, extrasensory hobbies, in particular, magic, occultism, etc.
In third place: the passion for gambling, thoughts of suicide, the use of swearing.
In fourth place: lack of interest in the spiritual and Christian life, gossip and unworthy conversations about the clergy, idle thoughts during the service.
In fifth place: empty time, aimless sitting on the TV or computer.
In sixth place: falling into despair, disbelief in the help of the Creator, hope only for yourself or someone else. Lying in Confession.
In seventh place: the commission of any basic sins, including against others.
In eighth place: bad debt, disrespect for parents, drinking alcohol at the wake, the same applies to "Parents' days."
In ninth place: bringing to suicide, including by spreading gossip; termination of the life of one’s own child in the womb (for women) or forcing others to kill the unborn child (for men); sins aimed at self-harm: drug addiction, alcoholism, incest, self-satisfaction. In addition, a demonstration of one's pious deeds.
The list of major sins for confession for women includes some points that are embarrassing, which is why many parishioners avoid this rite. However, not all sources acquired in 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 medications that prevent the emergence of a new life. Then the sin of killing 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 had abortions herself, persuading someone to them; the presence of unclean thoughts, fueled by pornographic films or books. Gossip, lied, indulged in despondency, resentment, anger, laziness. She flaunted her body to seduce anyone; admitted thoughts of suicide; She was afraid of old age; committed the sin of gluttony; harmed herself in another way; refused to help those in need; used the services of fortune-tellers, believed in signs.
And, of course, disclosing the secrets of confession is a serious crime for the priest. In addition, the church does not violate the boundaries of marital relations, with the exception of cases relating to the theme of the seven basic sins committed by the spouses in relation to each other, for example, anger, which leads to beatings with a threat to life.
It is best if a woman or man chooses a permanent spiritual mentor.
In the list of sins for men should be highlighted such as sacrilege, exposure to the sin of anger and all its consequences; neglect of duties, seduction of someone for fornication or other sins associated with 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 starting at the age of seven. This should be the concern of the godmother or godfather: it is they who are responsible for the spiritual education of their godson or goddaughter. Until the age of seven, a child can attend the church and receive communion without confession.
When preparing a son or daughter for confession, it is necessary to clarify to him (her) the concepts of repentance, sin and its consequences in terms accessible to children's consciousness. Conversations should not be unnecessarily complicated, just a little guidance is enough. Visiting the temple should not be a heavy duty, but become a spiritual need for a little Christian. The same applies to reading prayers and memorizing them.
Justification or Humility
The sacrament of confession involves repentance and an intention to lead a different lifestyle. Confessing your sins, do not look for excuses for them, show humility and awareness of their perniciousness for your soul. If you decide to radically change your life, then you will eventually need to analyze your actions and thoughts that preceded them.
Many do not understand: why repent in church, if the same thing can be done in private with yourself, without the participation of third parties? The answer is this: in the presence of a priest, a husk flies from your soul, as if only your essence remains. You feel shame more sharply and more sincerely than tĂŞte-Ă -tĂŞte with yourself, and your repentance will be much deeper, as well as responsibility for subsequent actions.
If you confess regularly, it may happen that there is a repetition of the sins listed in the previous confession. You need to confess them again, given that this will be considered a more serious sin than last time.
Confession should be expressed in simple language, without allegory or hint, so that the priest understands the essence of God's commandments that you have violated. The sacrament is considered complete when the priest breaks your list of sins. This means that you have received absolution. In this case, epitrachil will be lowered onto your head, after which the kissing of the holy cross and the Gospel will take place, symbolizing the invisible presence of the Creator.
There are times when the remission of sins is preceded by the fulfillment of penance. Its form and duration is determined by your confessor. You may be required to read certain prayers, fasting, or other activities. After doing penance, you must again go through the rite of confession and receive absolution.
It may happen that you or your loved ones cannot come to the temple due to illness. The priest will accept confession at home.
Two commandments
How often can one hear that there are too many restrictions in church rules, by which we will only feel guilty and ashamed! You can look at it differently: do you protest when you see the warning sign "Do not fit in - it will kill!" or similar to her? And if this announcement does not exist, and you cripple, then your first question will be: "Why didn’t anyone warn me about this danger?" And this indignation will be absolutely fair. Only it concerns the safety of your body.
The church is called to take care of your soul. And in this context, the announcements “Do not kill!”, “Do not steal!”, “Do not wish your neighbor’s wife” and other commandments guard your mental health, as well as those who are dear to you.
When the soul of a Christian is immersed in temptations and becomes a slave to sin, it loses touch with the Creator and is deprived of the opportunity to fulfill its destiny. The very essence of faith is in the two commandments. The first of them says: “Love the Lord your God,” and the second continues: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus Christ said that it is on these two commandments that the Christian faith is based.
True love is impossible in conjunction with dependence on vices. And only having freed from them, man is given the opportunity to experience the great happiness of unity with the Creator. This is a long and arduous journey, perhaps a lifetime.
Today, the cult of freedom is proclaimed everywhere: from obligations, from borders, from belonging to a certain gender, from tribal memory, from the laws of honor, from conscience, from mercy ... The list goes on and on and on. The bottom line is that in this way we may well lose ourselves in the process of liberation from the values ​​that our ancestors have defended for centuries.
There can be no violence in matters of faith; this remained in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, everyone decides for himself: what to do with his soul. In the end, you can forget about it in general: this is not a material category. And here everyone is free to choose.