Instructions

Jesus Christ, as stated in the Holy Bible, said that every sin and every blasphemy to a person is forgiven. But there is also a mention in this book that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven “neither in this age nor in the age to come,” in contrast to the bad word spoken about the Son of Man.

To explain this contradiction, priests offer to understand the role of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of humanity. The unforgivability of this sin does not stem from the fact that it is a “sin” as such. After all, the fundamental basis of the Bible is precisely that all sin is forgiven. To do this, you only need to come to the Lord with sincere repentance, faith and a prayer for forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ.

To understand why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable, you need to know about his role in God's plan. His mission is to talk about Christ, lead people to the truth and expose their sins. The Holy Spirit is a person’s conscience, rebuking sins and leading to faith. It gives a person the strength to live...

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)

...He has favored us in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:6-7)

...and not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His own blood, He once entered into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:12)

The kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood and forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13-14)

From Him you also are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)

And therefore He is the mediator of the new covenant, so that through His death, which was for redemption from the crimes committed in the first covenant, those who are called to an eternal inheritance may receive the promise. (Hebrews 9:15)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for all...

See section ABOUT SIN

Mortal sin is a sin that leads to the destruction of the soul, distorting God’s plan for man.

The God-man Jesus Christ indicated the “mortal” (unforgivable) sin of “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” “I tell you: “All sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people; but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven to people” (Matthew 12:31-32). This sin is understood as a person’s completely conscious and fierce resistance to the truth - as a consequence of the emergence of a living feeling of enmity and hatred of God. In this state, a person, as a morally free being, is psychologically inaccessible to the action of the saving grace sent down to him from Above.

Any sin that has enslaved the will of a person is mortal, therefore mortal sin is considered as a qualitative concept and there is no “legislative” list of mortal sins in Orthodoxy. In this sense, the list of mortal sins is very large, based on the inclination of a particular person to this or that...

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Unforgivable sin (often unforgivable sin, eternal sin) is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the concept of sin in Christian theology that cannot be forgiven. While in this state of sin, it is impossible to achieve salvation and eternal life with God.

The origin of the concept goes back to Jesus Christ's response to his opponents' claims that miraculous healings were the work of Beelzebub:

(background of events is covered in the Gospel of Luke 11:14-23)

The concept was further developed in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews:

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and have fallen away, to renew them again with repentance, when they again crucify the Son of God within themselves and mock [Him].” (Hebrews 6:4-6)

“The earth that drinks the rain that falls on it many times and produces grain that is good for those for whom...

Sins before God

According to Christian dogmas, there are a number of actions that are sins and unworthy of a Christian. The classification of these acts is based on the text of the Bible and church tradition.

In cases where a believer repents of a sin in confession, he is considered “absolved” - forgiven. Below we provide a list of various acts that Orthodoxy classifies as sins before God:

- pride;

– failure to fulfill the will of the Lord;

– violation of the ten commandments of the Old Testament and the commandments of the Gospel;

– lack of faith and disbelief;

– despair: lack of hope for God’s mercy;

– excessive reliance on God’s mercy;

– hypocritical veneration of the Lord, without the fear of God and love;

– lack of gratitude to God for His blessings, even for those sent down in illness and sorrow;

– appeal to astrologers, fortune tellers, psychics and fortune tellers;

– independent practice of magic, fortune telling,...

Why do you need to confess?

Accumulated sins and transgressions that have not been removed from the conscience (not...

I don’t remember where I read this story about a boy who, having learned that there was one single unforgivable sin, suffered terribly, suffered, and then climbed onto the stove, covered himself with a sheepskin coat and - expecting the sky to fall on him - and said : “The Holy Spirit is a fool”... The sky did not fall...

By the way, as a child I was the same as this boy - having heard from my grandmother about this unforgivable sin, I spent the whole day fighting with myself not to say the same thing and also expected that I would either be incinerated by lightning, or something worse.

And only very soon, after a couple of decades, I finally found out that I was mistaken.

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men; if anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; But if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:31-32; similar in Mark 3:28-29 and Luke 12:10)

What is it? It turns out that it is possible to scold Christ, but if you scold the Spirit, then...

G. Gololob

WHEN GOD LEAVES A CHRISTIAN

“Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32)

Deadly sins - what are they?

Can God abandon a Christian? The question is very serious if we approach it from the perspective of what is said in the Bible. In the history of the Church, many believed in the possibility of a Christian losing salvation, for example: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian and others. However, explaining the possibility of falling away from God is more difficult than simply asserting it using references to numerous texts of Scripture or the history of theology. It is important not just to list biblical or theological evidence for this possibility, but also to give it an explanation acceptable to both.

For this reason, in this article we will not only describe cases of falling away from faith and salvation, which the Bible abounds in: the prophet Balaam, the Levites Korah and his minions, the priests, the wicked sons of Aaron, Eli and his two sons, kings Saul, perhaps...

View full version: What sin is not forgiven by God?

God is merciful and forgives us all sins for which we sincerely repent. Except for one thing. When I found out which one it was, I was very surprised, because somehow you don’t even think about it, in fact, you don’t even know what it is. I am very interested to know what your opinions are on this issue. No, I know the answer, but I’m not writing because I’m so smart, I just want to know the opinions of everyone on the site, both experienced and not so experienced. Waiting for your comments, guys! I’m really very interested in whether one person didn’t know or many didn’t know either.

I used to think that the unforgivable sin was murder and suicide. It turned out that this was not the case.
Very interesting, what do you mean?

A murderer can repent, but a suicide will not have such an opportunity, because God can forgive the murderer, but a suicide, having abandoned the life given to him by God, also rejects forgiveness. Therefore it is an unforgivable sin.

19.08.2009, 17:01

My opinion,…

We cannot atone for our sins, but we have hope. The Lord Jesus Christ says that He came precisely to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

The main thing is not human sins and infirmities in themselves; the main thing - both the first and the most important - is that we are, first of all, members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ, and then - the sick, the weak, the powerless, sinners, whatever. The main thing is that, as in all spiritual life, so in repentance, in the center of it, in the first, main place, is He - and not some me with my supposed super-sinfulness.

Christ made atonement for our sins at Calvary; we are called to receive His gift through repentance and faith. The Lord founded the Church and established the Sacraments in it - special actions through which He frees us from sins and gives us strength for a new life. Therefore, we just need to come to Church and bring our sins to confession. The Word of God firmly promises us that if we confess our sins...

Of all human sins, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the sin that is especially highlighted in the Bible. We find the first warnings about blasphemy in the book of Leviticus: “... the son of the Israelite blasphemed the name of the Lord and slandered. And they brought him to Moses..."

God determined a strict punishment for this sin: “... and the blasphemer of the name of the Lord must die, the whole community will stone him: whether a stranger or a native blasphemes the name of the Lord, he will be put to death.”

Jesus Christ, having come to Earth, confirmed the danger of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, pointing out that such people have completely lost the chance for forgiveness, and now eternal damnation awaits them: “Therefore I say to you: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” people; if anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; if anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the next”; “Truly I say to you, all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven to the sons of men, no matter what they blaspheme; but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not...

What is Confession?

– Confession is a Sacrament in which a believer confesses sins to God in the presence of a priest and through him receives forgiveness of sins from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Confession is not a forcible “picking” of sins from the conscience, it is not an interrogation, and, especially, it is not a “guilty” verdict on the sinner. Confession is not a conversation about one’s shortcomings, doubts, not informing one’s confessor about oneself, and least of all a “pious custom.”

Confession is an ardent repentance of the heart, a thirst for purification, dying to sin and reviving for holiness. Confession is the great Sacrament of reconciliation between God and man, the manifestation of God’s love for man.

Why do you need to confess?

– Why do you need to wash off bodily dirt from yourself? However, a person cares about the body, which lives temporarily, but even more he must care about the soul, which will live forever. The dirt of the soul is sins that can only be cleansed from Confession.

Accumulated sins and transgressions...

Let us now turn to a double topic: repentance and confession. Confession, of course, contains repentance, but in order to understand what the essence of repentance is, we must talk about it separately.

Audio recording of the conversation:

http://www.pravmir.ru/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/penance.mp3

About repentance

Repentance lies in the fact that a person who has previously turned away from God or lived by himself suddenly or gradually understands that his life cannot be complete in the form in which he experiences it.

Repentance is about turning your face to God. This moment is only initial, but decisive, when we suddenly change course and instead of standing with our back or side towards God, towards the truth, towards our calling, we make the first movement - we turned to God.

We have not yet repented, in the sense that we have not changed, but in order for this to happen, we must experience something: it is impossible to turn away from ourselves and turn to God simply because we...

In which he who sincerely confesses his sins, with a visible expression of forgiveness from the priest, is invisibly absolved from his sins by God Himself. Confession is received by a priest or...

Why do you need to confess in the presence of a priest, and not just ask God for forgiveness?

Sin is dirt, so confession is a bath that washes the soul from this spiritual dirt. Sin is poison for the soul - so, confession is the treatment of a poisoned soul, cleansing it from the poison of sin. A person will not take a bath in the middle of the street, nor will he be cured of poisoning while walking: this requires appropriate institutions. In this case, such a divinely established institution is the Holy Church. They will ask: “But why is it necessary to confess in the presence of a priest, in the atmosphere of a church sacrament? Doesn't God see my heart? If I did something bad, I sinned, but I see it, I’m ashamed of it, I ask God for forgiveness - isn’t that enough?” But, my friend, if, for example, a person fell into a swamp and, having climbed out to the shore, is ashamed of being covered in mud, is this enough to become clean? Has he already washed himself with one feeling of disgust? To wash away dirt, you need an external source of clean water, and clean washing water for the soul is the grace of God, the source from which the water flows is the Church of Christ, the process of washing is the Sacrament of Confession.

A similar analogy can be drawn if we look at sin as a disease. Then the Church is a hospital, and confession is the treatment of a disease. Moreover, the confession itself in this example can be considered as an operation to remove a tumor (sin), and the subsequent communion of the Holy Gifts - the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist - as postoperative therapy for the healing and restoration of the body (soul).

How easy it is for us to forgive someone who repents, how necessary it is for us to repent before those whom we have offended!.. But isn’t our repentance all the more necessary before God – the Heavenly Father? We do not have such a sea of ​​sins as before Him before any other person.

How does the Sacrament of Repentance take place, how to prepare for it and how to begin?

The rites of confession : the usual beginning, priestly prayers and an appeal to the repentant " Behold, Christ stands invisibly, accepting your confession...", the confession itself. At the end of confession, the priest places the edge on the head of the penitent and reads a prayer of permission. The penitent kisses the Gospel and the cross lying on the lectern.

Confession is usually made after evening or in the morning, immediately before, since the laity, according to tradition, are allowed to receive communion after confession.

Preparation for confession is not outwardly formal. Unlike the other great Sacrament of the Church - confession can be performed always and everywhere (in the presence of a legal celebrant - an Orthodox priest). When preparing for confession, the church charter does not require either a special fast or a special prayer rule, but only faith and repentance are needed. That is, the person confessing must be a baptized member of the Orthodox Church, a conscious believer (recognizing all the foundations of Orthodox doctrine and recognizing himself as a child of the Orthodox Church) and repenting of his sins.

Sins must be understood both in a broad sense - as passions characteristic of fallen human nature, and in a more specific sense - as actual cases of transgression of God's commandments. The Slavic word “repentance” means not so much “apology” as “change” - a determination not to allow the same sins to be committed in the future. Thus, repentance is a state of uncompromising self-condemnation for one’s past sins and the desire to continue to stubbornly fight passions.

So, to prepare for confession means to take a repentant look at your life, analyze your deeds and thoughts from the point of view of God’s commandments (if necessary, write them down for memory), pray to the Lord for the forgiveness of sins and the granting of true repentance. As a rule, for the period after the last confession. But you can also confess past sins - either previously not confessed due to forgetfulness or false shame, or confessed without proper repentance, mechanically. At the same time, you need to know that sincerely confessed sins are always and irreversibly forgiven by the Lord (dirt is washed away, illness is healed, the curse is lifted), this immutability is the meaning of the Sacrament. However, this does not mean that sin should be forgotten - no, it remains in memory for humility and protection from future falls; it can bother the soul for a long time, just as a healed wound can bother a person - no longer mortal, but still noticeable. In this case, it is possible to confess the sin again (to pacify the soul), but it is not necessary, since it has already been forgiven.

And - go to the temple of God to confess.

Although, as already mentioned, you can confess in any setting, it is generally accepted to confess in a church - before or at a time specially appointed by the priest (in special cases, for example, for confessing a patient at home, you need to individually agree with the clergyman).

The usual time for confession is before. They usually confess at evening services, and sometimes a special time is set. It is advisable to find out about the time of confession in advance.

As a rule, the priest confesses in front of a lectern (A lectern is a table for church books or icons with an inclined upper surface). Those who come to confession stand one after another in front of the lectern, where the priest confesses, but at some distance from the lectern, so as not to interfere with someone else’s confession; they stand quietly, listening to church prayers, lamenting their sins in their hearts. When it’s their turn, they go to confession.

Approaching the lectern, bow your head; at the same time, you can kneel (if desired; but on Sundays and great holidays, as well as from Easter to the day of the Holy Trinity, kneeling is canceled). Sometimes the priest covers the head of the penitent with an epitrachelion (Epitrachelion is a detail of a priest’s vestment - a vertical strip of fabric on the chest), prays, asks what the confessor’s name is and what he wants to confess before God. Here the repentant must confess, on the one hand, a general awareness of his sinfulness, especially naming the passions and weaknesses most characteristic of him (for example: lack of faith, love of money, anger, etc.), and on the other hand, name those specific sins for which he sees himself, and especially those that lie like a stone on his conscience, for example: abortion, insults to parents or loved ones, theft, fornication, the habit of swearing and blasphemy, non-observance of God’s commandments and church institutions, etc., etc. n. The “General Confession” section will help you understand your sins.

The priest, having heard the confession, as a witness and intercessor before God, asks (if he considers it necessary) questions and gives instructions, prays for the forgiveness of the sins of the repentant sinner and, when he sees sincere repentance and a desire for correction, reads a “permissive” prayer.

The Sacrament of forgiveness of sins itself is performed not at the moment of reading the “permissive” prayer, but through the entire set of rites of confession, however, the “permissive” prayer is, as it were, a seal certifying the fulfillment of the Sacrament.

So, confession is made, with sincere repentance, the sin is forgiven by God.

The forgiven sinner, crossing himself, kisses the cross, the Gospel and takes the priest’s blessing.

To receive a blessing is to ask the priest, by his priestly authority, to send down the strengthening and sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit on himself and on his affairs. To do this, you need to fold your hands palms up (right to left), bow your head and say: “Bless, father.” The priest baptizes the person with the sign of the priestly blessing and places his palm on the folded palms of the person being blessed. One should venerate the priest’s hand with one’s lips—not as a human hand, but as an image of the blessing right hand of the Giver of all good things, the Lord.

If he was preparing for communion, he asks: “Will you bless me for communion?” - and if the answer is positive, he goes to prepare to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

Are all sins forgiven in the Sacrament of Repentance, or only those named?

How often should you go to confession?

The minimum is before each Communion (according to church canons, the faithful receive communion no more than once a day and no less than once every 3 weeks), the maximum number of confessions is not established and is left to the discretion of the Christian himself.

It should be remembered that repentance is a desire to be reborn, it does not begin with confession and does not end with it, it is a matter of a lifetime. That is why the Sacrament is called the Sacrament of Repentance, and not the “Sacrament of the Enumeration of Sins.” Repentance for sin consists of three stages: Repent of the sin as soon as you have committed it; remember him at the end of the day and again ask God for forgiveness for him (see the last prayer in Vespers); confess it and receive absolution from sins in the Sacrament of Confession.

How to see your sins?

At first this is not difficult, but with regular Communion, and therefore confession, it becomes more and more difficult. You need to ask God for this, because seeing your sins is a gift from God. But we need to be prepared for temptations if the Lord grants our prayer. At the same time, it is useful to read the lives of saints and study.

Can a priest refuse to accept confession?

Apostolic Canons (52nd canon) " If anyone, a bishop or presbyter, does not accept a convert from sin, let him be expelled from the sacred rank. For [he] grieves Christ, who said: There is joy in heaven over one repentant sinner ()».

You can refuse confession if, in fact, there is none. If a person does not repent, does not consider himself guilty of his sins, does not want to be reconciled with his neighbors. Also, those who are not baptized and excommunicated from church communion cannot receive absolution from sins.

Is it possible to confess over the phone or in writing?

In Orthodoxy there is no tradition of confessing sins over the phone or via the Internet, especially since this violates the secret of confession.
It should also be borne in mind that patients can invite a priest to their home or hospital.
Those who have left for distant countries cannot justify themselves by this, because falling away from the Holy Sacraments of the Church is their choice and it is inappropriate to profane the Sacrament for the sake of this.

What rights does a priest have to impose penance on a penitent?

How should you prepare for your first confession? Ksenia

Dear Ksenia! The most important thing is not to change your mind and not to put off for later what your soul asks for and what your soul strives for. External preparation can be different, and you will subsequently determine its extent together with the priest who will one day become your spiritual mentor; don’t even think about it now. And try to carefully remember your life from adolescence, from the time when you began to distinguish between white and black, bad and good - and everything that your conscience reproaches you with, all those pages that you want to turn over as quickly as possible, everything that the evil one will talk about whispering: “But don’t say this, it’s too long ago, it’s too embarrassing, it’s too impossible to pronounce and explain,” this is exactly what you bring to confession along with the determination never to return to some sins, but with others, rather, skills, passions, sinful habits of waging an uncompromising struggle.

Another practical piece of advice is to try to find out in advance about the church where you are going to go to confession, when there is an opportunity to confess in detail. It’s even better to agree with the priest in advance, warning him that this will be your first time at confession. Priest Maxim Kozlov

How should you prepare for confession? On what principle should a confession be drawn up - according to the commandments, or according to the chronology of the sins I have committed? How much should one say? Is it enough to simply admit that you have sinned? Olga

Dear Olga. You need to come to church for confession, following the advice the priest has already given you. You can record confession in advance, starting at the age of 7. Repeated sins can be simply named, or the situations that led to the sin can be described. Sometimes a person painfully feels that under some circumstances his soul was severely crippled by sin, and wounds remained on his heart, the touch of which causes acute pain or pain dulled by time.

Then it really takes courage to reveal to the priest what is sometimes painful and embarrassing to talk about. But if not revealed, then hidden sin will continue to destroy the soul and heart from the inside. It happens that some sins cannot be remembered, and some actions or thoughts may not have seemed a sin, then regular further confessions and fervent prayer will lead them out of the darkness of oblivion.

You must come to confession, especially the first one, when the priest has enough time to talk with you, i.e. at the evening service. Having accepted your confession, the priest will decide whether you are ready to receive communion, or whether you need to fast, pray, or go to church. But you can resolve all this with him directly in conversation. As for tears during confession, they are natural for a penitent. May the Lord and your Guardian Angel help you overcome all obstacles that hinder the purification of your soul. God help, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Can I confess through correspondence without going to church? Tatiana.
Hello Tatyana, confession is a sacrament performed by the Lord Himself, and the priest is a witness that repentance has taken place. A repentant person overcomes the most terrible and constant enemy - himself. He wins a major victory over himself and the priest testifies that it really happened. We repent in order to change internally, to correct ourselves with the help of God. Lord help you to find a confessor to whom your soul would be inclined, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

I confessed via email, is that correct? Irina.
Hello Irina. In my opinion, confession over the Internet is unacceptable. Of course, confessing sins can be both bitter and shameful. Confession is a sacrament in which the priest is a witness of your repentance for sin. Repentance separates sin from a person; it is a grace-filled change in the state of the soul.

Why is it bad when a priest witnesses how a shameful sin is separated from a repentant person? If a person truly repents, then the priest will rejoice for him and thank God. And if there is no repentance, then opening up in confession is not easy. Repentance is a gift from God; one must ask the Lord for it. There have been cases in history when a person was unable, due to circumstances, to confess to a priest. But these were extreme situations. For example, a person dies far from the church and conveys his last confession to a friend, so that when the opportunity arises, he will retell it to the priest. There was a case described by Bishop Veniamin (Fedchenkov), when Governor General Bünting, who was in mortal danger, had the opportunity to confess for the last time in his life by telephone. But you need to overcome your embarrassment. Repentance exists for this purpose, to bring to light that which hinders the union of the soul with God. God help you! Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

The closer to confession, the stronger the “twist”. Such thoughts creep into my head, it seems, out of shame and I'm afraid I'll die... What should I do, what prayer should I read in order to survive? I thank you from the bottom of my heart in advance! Marina.

Hello, Marina.
You can pray in your own words that the Lord will help you resist all these thoughts. But you still need to come to confession in any case and in any condition. God help you, priest Mikhail Nemnonov.

I went to confession many times and did not feel any relief. I often come across people who say that after confession they feel such joy and lightness. If you don’t feel relief, joy and lightness, does this mean that your sins are still forgiven? Irina

Dear Irina!
Saint Theophan the Recluse says that to whom joy is useful, joy is given, and to whom sadness is useful, sadness is given, as long as this sadness is according to God. This means that our repentance must become more serious and the testing of our relationships with other people more severe.
The Monk Macarius the Great testifies that he knew many who at the beginning of the path were extremely blessed, but then fell in the most pitiful way. And there are even more of those who worked all their lives in humble obedience to faith, without any special consolations, and achieved salvation in eternal Easter. With sincere repentance of sins, a person receives forgiveness from the Lord in the sacrament of confession, even if after confession there is no feeling of any special joy.

Sincerely, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

During confession, I forgot a lot out of excitement. Does this mean that my confession is invalid, and I don’t forgiven? When I prepare for confession, I always write down my sins on paper. And still, out of excitement, I’ll forget something. After the last confession there was no feeling of lightness, there was a feeling of annoyance. Julia

Dear Yulia! Forgotten sins are not scary, they are forgiven. Try to write down your sins further, and those sins that you forgot to say, you will say at confession next time.
God help you, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

How often should a person go to confession to a priest? Svetlana.
Hello Svetlana! It is better for you to discuss the regularity of confession and communion with your confessor. In my opinion, the best option is once every two to three weeks, plus major church holidays. Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

In confession she said about the sin of her youth: “I sinned by fornication.” Is this confession enough, or do we still need to say something more specifically? Irina.

Dear Irina! Yes, indeed, during confession there is no need to describe sins in detail, so you confessed correctly, I don’t see your mistake. But fornication is one of the grave sins, so confession alone is not enough. It is necessary to constantly and fervently repent before the Lord about the sin you once committed and pray to him for forgiveness, to monitor the state of your soul. Confess regularly about your sins, even everyday ones. Trust in God's mercy, God help you.
Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

I want to confess and I don’t know if this is considered a sin? When I was 8-9 years old, and my brother was 7-8 years old, we watched a bad film and, out of our stupidity, began to repeat what we saw. My conscience is very tormenting me. N.

Dear N.!
Temporary shame in this transitory life means nothing in comparison with the glory that awaits those who have resorted to Holy Repentance! Confess it as simply as you asked now - no names are needed here: just tell everything to the priest sincerely, praying to the Lord for forgiveness, and God's mercy will be with you! Remember: there is no sin that cannot be cleansed by repentance! Remember the joy that happens in Heaven about repentant sinners - repent and this joy will touch your heart too!
Strength to you and fidelity to the Lord! Priest Alexy Kolosov

Do I need to confess the sin of fornication more honestly again? I confessed it several times, but without details, sparing the priest’s ears. Elena

Dear Elena!
A sin once confessed does not need to be confessed again unless you commit it again. When confessing prodigal sins, it is usually not recommended to describe in detail what was committed, so if you did not name some details, then this is not a “non-disclosure,” much less a “concealment.” I advise you not to confess your confessed sins a second or third time, but if your thoughts confuse you, then you need to pray and repent before the Lord and ask Him for forgiveness. From you - sincerity and constancy, and the result - from the Lord.

I have problems with confession and with spiritual life...I once went to church regularly. I read that you need to hate this world, but I don’t want to hate it. My husband is very jealous of me. I can imagine what a scandal it would be if I went to church and stayed late for confession, even if we went together, I would get another question: “What did I confess for so long? Victoria.

Dear Victoria. You need to hate the evil in the world, and not the world itself, and in this you are absolutely right. Condemnation is a sin, a violation of God’s commandment: “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” This sin is a manifestation of pride. The Apostle John the Theologian says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” It seems to me that the shortcoming of your husband that you are talking about can be overcome with love. The more you are gentle, affectionate, friendly and delicate towards him, the sooner this drawback will pass. Try to be sincere and open with your husband. You need to go to confession, but warn your husband that you will be late so that he does not worry.
God help, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

I am tormented by doubts that I did not fully confess at the general confession! I didn’t name individual episodes, and now I won’t be able to remember what was confessed and what wasn’t. Olga
Dear Olga!
What is important for the Lord is not the meticulous listing of sins, but the depth and sincerity of the repentant feeling. The Lord is a Hearer, not an accountant. But if some sin torments your conscience, you can name it at the next confession.
Sincerely, priest Alexander Ilyashenko

I made my first confession to the priest while drunk, but it was for courage. Is this considered confession? Yuri.
Dear Yuri!
The Sacraments should be approached decorously and in purity - of course, the sacrament has been completed, but one should still repent of the fact that they were drunk during confession. And remember: drunken “bravery” is of little use! And the priest most likely noticed, but, sensing your condition and anxiety, he showed tact and understanding.
Sincerely, priest Alexy Kolosov

Father dozed off for a few moments during my confession. Is my confession considered perfect or not? Larisa

Yes, Larisa, your confession is considered perfect, because in confession you repent not to the priest, but to the Lord, the priest is only a witness of your repentance. God help you! Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Can I repent of sin, realizing that I am not yet able to get rid of it? Thinking about this sin causes me suffering. Katerina.
Hello, Katerina!
Isn’t there hypocrisy in the fact that I constantly repent for my pride, envy, temper...? I think you understand that such sins are not immediately and irrevocably eradicated at once. So why not repent?
Look how often we wash our bodies, even if we are not particularly dirty. And we know, we realize that we need to wash constantly and throughout our lives. Maybe not wash it then?
So, Katerina, go to confession and repent of what weighs on your conscience. Remember, as St. John Chrysostom said, that the Lord not only accepts fruits, but also kisses intentions. Pray with warmth from your heart: Lord, You see how this sin oppresses me, how I suffer from it! Help, give me the strength to get rid of him! And so on, as the confessor advises. Ask him for prayers and advice on how to deal with your situation.
God help you! Priest Pavel Ilyinsky.

Is there any point in the following confession if you have not gotten rid of the sin because of which you were not allowed to take communion? Rita
Rita, hello!
There is always a point in confession, except in those cases when we do not want to get rid of the sin we are confessing. But if you still want to part with this sin, but have not yet been able to do so, then you need to confess.
Sincerely, priest Mikhail Nemnonov

I want to confess, I am embarrassed that a priest can have a negative attitude towards such sins as: blasphemy against the Church and clergy, doubting the power and ridiculing God, listening to songs with satanic content. Eugene

Hello, Evgeniy!
Do not be afraid that the priest will treat you negatively. It is he, more than anyone else, who knows well how weak a person is, how often he is capable of making mistakes. Realizing both his shortcomings and the fact that there are no sinless people, any priest always welcomes with great joy if a person has gained faith and has taken the path of salvation.
Therefore, there is no need to fear either condemnation, contempt, or, especially, anger. Tell him in confession simply and artlessly, everything that is in your soul and that now you intend to live according to the Commandments, and for this you ask for his prayers and instructions.
Father will give you advice for spiritual life and bless you in the name of Christ.
God help you! Priest Pavel Ilinsky

I recently confessed to the sin of fornication. I entered into an extramarital relationship with a guy whom I love and with whom we are going to legalize our relationship in the future. Previously, I didn’t understand what was sinful about an extramarital affair, and therefore I didn’t go to confession, I just didn’t want to repent of what I didn’t understand, just because the Church said so. After all, after confession one must not return to sin. It's hard when you don't understand the meaning. I was waiting and thinking. Then an understanding of everything came, and it was as if an abyss had opened up before my feet. Although I repented in confession, my soul is heavy and gloomy. Everything hurts inside.

It used to be that after confession you left the church, and the world around you seemed to become brighter and more joyful, and everything inside was singing. And now I was leaving the temple as if I were leaving an operating room - with the same heavy feeling of pain and loss. Depression has not let me go since then; I cannot cope with it on my own. What should I do? It seems to me that God does not love me as before - after all, I am no longer so pure. How does repentance for fornication occur, since it is considered a mortal sin? I know that many saints were tormented for years for such a sin. Is this how it should be? How much do I need to suffer in order to regain my previous spiritual state that was before my fall?

Kate

Dear Catherine, firstly, it is very good that the Lord gave you the courage to repent of your grave mortal sin before the cross and the Gospel in the sacrament of confession, to recognize it as a sin, and not just as a norm of everyday behavior, which is characteristic of so many people today. You ask why there is no relief in your soul, why it didn’t immediately become light and clear. But Katya, sin differs from sin, sometimes a person stumbles, does some dirty trick, repents of it - and that’s it, just like he washed his face with water, that’s all there is to it. And it happens, as with a serious illness: a person undergoes an operation, they cut out his appendix, or some malignant tumors - oh, how long the whole body still hurts. So it is with sins. When we decide to cut out something malignant, painful, which greatly distorts us, then after the operation it will take a long time to come to our senses. The same patient - he feels sick, and he doesn’t want to live, and for the first week it seems that he will die now, but still the oncology is no longer there, what poisoned him and deprived him of the opportunity to live in the future is no longer there. So with such a sin - at first it will be hard, and then further, by correcting your life and not returning to this sin, you will testify to God that your repentance was real, and in this effort of life the Lord will gradually give you peace, joy and further straightness of your path to salvation.

priest Maxim Kozlov

_________________________________________

There is no sin that would exceed the mercy of God. Even Judas would have been forgiven if he had asked for forgiveness. The example of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, who was a harlot for 17 years and then became a model of repentance and a great servant of God, gives us hope for the forgiveness of our sins.

I'm about to go to my first confession. How to prepare?

To confess, you need awareness of your sins, sincere repentance for them, and a desire to correct yourself with God’s help. You can write down some sins on a piece of paper as a cheat sheet so that you don’t get confused the first time (then do what you want with this piece of paper: you can throw it away, burn it, give it to the priest, save it until your next confession and compare what you have improved on, and than - no). With a long list of sins, it is better to come to the service in the middle of the week, rather than on Sunday. In general, it is better to start with the most painful thing that worries the soul, gradually moving on to minor sins.

Came to confession for the first time. The priest did not allow me to take communion - he advised me to read the Gospel as “homework”.

When a person does not know, for example, the traffic rules, then he does not know that he is breaking them. If a person does not know the Gospel, that is, the Law of God, then it is difficult for him to repent of sins, because he does not really understand what sin is. That is why it is useful to read the Gospel.

Is it possible to ask for forgiveness of the sins of parents and relatives in confession?

We cannot go to the doctor and get treatment for someone, we cannot eat for someone in the dining room, so in confession we ask for forgiveness for our sins and help in correcting them. And we pray for our loved ones ourselves and submit notes to churches.

In confession, I regularly repent of the fact that I live in fornication, but I continue to live this way - I’m afraid that my loved one will not understand me.

An Orthodox Christian should care about being understood by God. And according to His word, “fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” In addition, confession is not just a statement of sins, but also a desire to improve. In your case, the following situation arises: you come to the doctor (to confession in church), state that you are “sick” with sin, but do not receive treatment. Moreover, such a confession is also hypocritical. Of course, we repeat most of our confessed sins, but we must at least have the intention to improve, and you do not have it. Advice: quickly register the relationship at least with the registry office.

I am not yet ready to repent of one sin, because I will commit it again. In general, don’t go to confession yet? But other sins torment!

No matter how much we love our sins, at least at the level of reason we must understand that if we do not repent and correct ourselves, eternal punishment awaits us. Such a thought should contribute to the desire to correct all sins, because who can give himself a guarantee that he will live at least until the next day? And the Lord told us: “What I find you in, that’s what I judge.” Unfortunately, the vast majority of people immediately repeat most of their sins after confession, but this is not a reason not to repent of them. If a person is sincerely worried about this, if he wants to improve, even if he doesn’t succeed in everything right away, then, according to the words of the Holy Fathers, the Lord will accept even this desire as what he has done.

Is it possible to go to general confession?

The so-called general confession is rather a profanation of confession, because there is no confession as such. It’s something like this: a bunch of people came to the doctor, and he took out a piece of paper with a list of diseases and said: “Well, you sick people, now get well, be healthy!” It is doubtful that you will benefit from such an appointment with a doctor. This is allowed as an exception during a large influx of confessors during Lent, but the priest must emphasize that this is an exception: come to presanctified services on Wednesdays and Fridays, on Saturdays, go to churches somewhere on the outskirts of the city, where there are fewer people , but do not approach confession formally. Don't be happy that you didn't have to say anything, passing the responsibility onto the priest. In general, the door is opened to him who knocks, and whoever seeks finds.

At confession, all sins are forgiven. But what to do if sins from 10 or 20 years ago are remembered? Do they need to be confessed?

If sins are remembered and realized, then, of course, they must be confessed. It won't get any worse.

Serious sins, even though they have already been confessed, torment me greatly. Is it necessary to talk about them in confession again?

A sincerely repented and never repeated sin is forgiven once and for all. But such terrible sins as abortion, involvement in the occult, and murder gnaw at a person even after confession. Therefore, in them you can once again ask God for forgiveness, and you don’t have to say them in confession, but simply remember your crimes and try to make up for them with good deeds that are opposite to them.

Why should laity confess before communion, but priests do not? Is it possible to receive communion without confession?

What do you think, if you take a doctor and a patient without medical education, which of them is better versed in diets, prescribing medications, etc.? In some cases, a doctor can help himself, but an ordinary person is forced to seek help. People go to church to heal the soul, and there are sins that do not allow a person to take communion. A layman may not understand or know about this, and if he goes without confession, communion may serve him not for salvation, but for condemnation. Therefore, control in the form of a priest is needed. But clergy are more competent in such things and can control when they should go to confession, and when they can only ask for forgiveness from God.

Is there any evidence in the Bible that we should confess through a priest?

The Lord, sending the apostles to preach, said: “Whoever you forgive on earth will be forgiven in heaven.” What is this if not the right to accept repentance and forgive a person’s sins in the name of God? And He also said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; by Him forgive on earth, and it will be forgiven in heaven.” There were prototypes of repentance in the Old Testament, for example, the ritual with a scapegoat, the offering of sacrifices in the temple, for these were purification sacrifices for sins. This apostolic authority for the forgiveness of sins is received by all legitimate priests by virtue of succession, which is confirmed by the words of Christ: “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It is not always possible to go to confession of sins in church. Can I confess in front of the icon at home?

Evening prayers end with daily confession of sins. But, nevertheless, from time to time a person must repent of them in confession.

I was preparing for my first confession, I read the book by John (Krestyankin) “The Experience of Constructing a Confession.” But when he approached the lectern, he could not say anything - tears flowed. Father absolved me of my sins. Is confession considered valid?

In confession, the main thing is not what we say, but what is in our hearts. For the Lord says so: “Son, give me your heart.” And King David taught: “The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. God will not despise a contrite and humble heart.”

My grandmother is dying, she doesn’t understand anything, she doesn’t speak. Being of sound mind, she refused confession and communion. Is it possible to confess her now?

The Church accepts a person’s conscious choice without forcing his will. If a person, being of sound mind, wanted to begin the sacraments of the Church, but for some reason did not do this, then in case of clouding of his mind, remembering his desire and consent, one can still make such a compromise as communion and unction (so we give communion to infants or the insane). But if a person, being of sound consciousness, did not want to accept the sacraments of the church, refused to confess his sins, then even in the event of loss of consciousness, the Church does not force the choice of this person. Alas, it is his choice. Such cases are considered by the confessor, directly communicating with the patient and his relatives, after which a final decision is made. In general, of course, it is best to clarify your relationship with God in a conscious and adequate state.

I fell - the sin of fornication, although I gave my word, repented and was sure that this would not happen to me again. What to do?

Mary of Egypt was the greatest harlot. But every Great Lent the Church remembers her as a model of repentance. Conclusion: no matter how hard we fall, sincere repentance blots out sin and opens the gates of heaven. Let the very word fornication be disgusting to you, so that with God’s help this will never happen again.

It’s a shame to tell the priest about your sins in confession.

You should be ashamed when you sin. And shame in confession is false shame. We must think not about how the priest will look at us, but about how God will look at us. Moreover, any prudent priest will never condemn you, but will only rejoice, as a doctor rejoices at a recovering patient. If you cannot bring yourself to name the sins, write them on a piece of paper and give them to the priest. Or repent without details, in general terms. The main thing is to have a feeling of repentance, contrition, and a desire to improve.

If my sins are very shameful, can I tell the priest about them without details? Or will it be like hiding sin?

In order to treat bodily diseases, it is important for the doctor to know all the details of these diseases. You don’t have to describe the details of your sins, but it’s still better to call things by their proper names and not limit yourself to general phrases.

Is it necessary to go to confession if it turns out to be formal?

In our relationship with God, sincerity is key. We must understand that formalism and hypocrisy will not work in relationships with God. But if your conscience agrees that many of your words in confession sound cold and formal, this indicates that, nevertheless, the sin you are confessing bothers you and you want to get rid of it. Therefore, name your sins in confession, saying that while admitting them, you see some sins, but you are not yet able to hate them. And therefore, ask God for forgiveness so that this vision develops into hatred of sin and the desire to get rid of it. The Holy Fathers teach that even if we repeat the same sins again, we nevertheless must confess them, by doing this we seem to loosen the stump, which is then easier to tear out.

Is it true that in confession one should not repent of sins committed before baptism?

If you have washed dirty clothes, wash them again only when they become dirty again. If a person accepts the sacrament of baptism with faith, then, indeed, he receives forgiveness for all sins committed up to that moment. There is no point in repenting of them anymore. There are simply such terrible sins as murder, abortion, in which the soul again and again wants to ask for forgiveness from God. That is, the case when God has already forgiven, but a person cannot forgive himself. In such cases, it is permissible to speak once again about terrible sins in confession.

I'm afraid I incorrectly named the sin in confession. What to do?

The main thing is not what to call your sin, but to have a feeling of repentance and a desire to improve.

My spiritual father confesses to me at home, so I am better aware of my sins, I am not in a hurry, I can ask him a question. Is it possible to do this?

Can. Many people before the revolution, not having the opportunity to often visit Optina Pustyn, wrote to the elders and confessed in letters. In your case, it is important that you not just talk, but that the priest reads a prayer of permission at the end.

Is it possible to confess without preparation?

When a person has appendicitis, or he doesn’t sleep at night because of toothache, he doesn’t need any tests, examinations, ultrasounds to identify the disease. He rushes to the doctor for help. So it is with confession. If our heart hurts that we, for example, stole something, went to witches, had an abortion, fell into fornication, drunkenness, i.e. when we specifically know what we are sinning, then no books are needed , we go to confession and confess our sins. But a person who is not familiar with the Gospel, does not know the laws of God and, even breaking them, does not realize that he is sinning, naturally must prepare. Study the laws of God, find out what he sins in, and thus prepare himself, go to confession to a priest.

In what cases can a priest impose penance? How to remove it?

Penance is excommunication from communion for some sin for some time. It may consist of fasting, intense prayer, etc. Upon completion of the imposed penance, it is removed by the same priest who imposed it.

While getting ready for my first confession, I found a list of sins on the Internet. There were: listening to music, going to the cinema, to concerts, going on rides... Is it true?

Firstly, it is impossible to realize and remember all sins, we have so many of them. Therefore, in confession we must repent of especially serious sins that bother us and from which we really want to get rid of. Secondly, as for attractions, music, cinema, then, as they say, there are nuances. Because music and films are different and not always harmless. For example, films filled with debauchery, violence, horror. Many rock music songs glorify the devil and are literally dedicated to him. Well, I’m sure there are absolutely harmless attractions, not counting, of course, the hobby of computer games and consoles. Because gambling addiction (gaming addiction) has terrible consequences for both the soul and the body, which cannot be said about ordinary carousels and swings.

There is an opinion that it is undesirable to confess “according to the list”, but that you need to remember everything.

If a person, preparing for confession, simply rewrites the manual for penitents, and then reads out this list during confession, then this is an ineffective confession. And if a person is worried, afraid from excitement to forget about some of his sins, and at home in front of a candle and an icon with tears he writes down on paper the repentant feelings of his heart, then such preparation can only be welcomed.

Can a priest's wife confess to her husband?

To do this, you must literally be a holy person, because it is purely humanly difficult to be completely sincere, revealing all the nakedness of your soul to your husband. Even if mother does this, she could harm the priest himself. After all, he is also a weak person. Therefore, I would recommend not going to confession with your husband unless absolutely necessary.

A relative of mine who went to church and participated in its sacraments suddenly died. There remains a piece of paper with sins. Is it possible to read it to the priest so that he can say the prayer of permission in absentia?

If a person was preparing for confession, but died on the way to the temple, the Lord accepted his intentions and forgave his sins. So no correspondence confession is required anymore.

I go to confession regularly. I won’t say that I don’t see my sins, but the sins are the same. Say the same thing in confession?

But we brush our teeth every day, right? And we wash ourselves and wash our hands, despite the fact that they get dirty again. So it is with the soul. This is what the Gospel calls for: the number of times you fall, the number of times you get up. So there is only one conclusion: if we dirty our clothes, we clean our clothes, if we pollute our soul with sins, we cleanse our soul with repentance.

What consequences does the recollection of confessed sins have on the soul?

If you once again remember with a shudder, for example, an abortion, this is useful. But if you remember with relish, for example, the sins of fornication, then this is sinful.

Is electronic confession allowed via the Internet?

Your doctor can tell you over the phone which medications to take for which symptoms. But, for example, it is impossible to perform a transaction over the phone. Similarly, you can ask a priest something via the Internet and get advice, but you still have to go to the sacraments yourself. But if someone is stranded on a desert island, but somehow contacts a priest by email, he can repent of his sins by asking the priest to read a prayer of absolution. That is, such a format of confession can be allowed when there is no other opportunity for repentance.

At what age should boys go to confession, and at what age should girls?

The rules indicate, without dividing between boys and girls, that a person begins confession at about 10 years of age or as he realizes the meaning of confession. And in Rus' (probably very smart children) it is customary to start confessing children from the age of 7.

I came to confession for the first time in 20 years. He repented of his affair with his wife and did not remember any more sins. Father said that in my case it was necessary to come with a huge list of sins and that the Christian in me had died...

In fact, confession does not require a long list of sins written on paper. In confession, a person says what he cannot forget, what hurts his soul, and no piece of paper is needed for this. For what is the point of sitting at home, copying out the next manual for penitents almost one after another, if at the same time the person has not felt the depth of his fall and has no desire to correct himself? In your case, the Christian in you did not die, he simply slept in a deep sleep for 20 years. Once you arrived at the temple, he began to wake up. The task of the confessor in this case is to help you resurrect the Christian within you. So, in form, you seemed to be rightly subjected to a thrashing, but in essence they could actually completely kill the remnants of Christianity in your soul. I would like to wish you, through the instructions of the Holy Fathers, listening to the voice of conscience and good priests, to come to the Church and live in it all your life with hope for the Kingdom of Heaven.

I want to go to confession and receive communion, but I constantly put it off out of fear of the Lord. How to overcome fear?

The fear of sudden death must overcome the fear of confession, because no one knows at what moment the Lord will call his soul to answer. But it’s scary to appear before God with all your negative baggage; it’s wiser to leave it here (through confession).

Does a priest have the right to violate the sacrament of confession?

The secret of confession cannot be disclosed to anyone and under no justification. There were cases when a priest, keeping confession secret, even went to prison.

I don’t go to confession because I’m afraid for the priest, who takes all the sins upon himself and then gets sick.

John the Baptist, pointing to Christ, said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world.” No priest can take upon himself the sins of the people who confess to him; only Christ can do this. Throw away all your fears and false shame and rush to confession.

After confession and communion, I felt relieved. Minor feuds in the family disappeared and well-being improved. But most importantly: I noticed that my prayers to God were heard, requests for the health of my family were being fulfilled.

Your words indicate that when you sincerely turn to God with a request for forgiveness of sins, the Lord, who said “Ask, and it will be given to you,” fulfills his promise. And since our sins are very often the cause of our illnesses, troubles, failures, then when these sins are forgiven, the cause of all troubles disappears. That is, when the causes disappear, the consequences also disappear: a person’s health is restored, success at work appears, family relationships improve, etc.

When you come to church for confession, do not be afraid. The Lord is generous and accepts all sinners. Forgives those who repent. You should not be afraid of the priest, he is the eyes and ears of the Lord, no one will know about your secret sins. He listens to so much throughout the day that by lunchtime he doesn’t remember who came to him or what they said.

Father is the only person who will not wish you harm or envy you. He will only rejoice that another soul has been saved, and thank God that he, the all-seeing and all-good, has directed you to the true path!

Sins spoken in confession

The priest in the church is not an all-seeing eye, much less a psychic to guess your sins. He will ask questions related to sins in one way or another. These questions are directly related to the 10 important commandments.

1. “I am your God.”Will be listed:

• Do you pray, how often do you go to services, or just to church?
• Will you admit that you believe in God to your acquaintances?
• Do you believe in God?

2. “You shall not make an idol for yourself.”This may include:

• Overeating as a cult of food;
• Decorations;
• Money, alcohol, smoking;
• Pride.

3. Don’t you remember the Lord in moments of frustration?

4. Do you devote your day off to prayer?

5. Do you respect your parents?

6. Do not kill, neither by word nor by deed.

7. Don’t seduce anyone, don’t destroy someone’s marriage and life.

8. Don't take what doesn't belong to you.

9. Don’t tell lies to your loved ones and friends.

10. Don't covet what others have.

Preparing for confession of sins, how to repent

Before going to the priest for confession, you need to prepare. What does it mean to prepare? To do this, you need to read prayers and fast for at least a day before going to church. Directly on the day of confession itself, you must not eat anything and come to the very beginning of the service. If the priest notices that you were not there from the very beginning of the service, he will not confess.

Don't look for excuses in your actions. If you did this, it means you wanted to, and at that moment you were very happy with it. Before going to confession, make peace with yourself and your loved ones, ask for forgiveness if necessary.

Confession is divided into two parts:

• Soulful confession: You repent every day of what you have done;
• Confession to a priest: You tell a priest about your deeds in order to cleanse your soul.

These are completely two different sides of the same coin. When you come to church, you must be aware of what you will say and why. It is very difficult to tell a complete stranger what wrongdoing you have done and why you did it that way. It becomes embarrassing, many forget or do not want to talk about the most painful mistakes they have made.

You can make a list of misdeeds, so you won’t forget anything, and it will be easier to talk about it later. If it is still difficult for you to make such a list, there is a mini store at the church; it certainly has a booklet on how to conduct confession and what sins exist.

After confession, a person usually experiences a feeling of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. You can confess several times a week. Frequent trips to church help you feel relaxed and more confident.

Sins in confession list for women

Compiling and reading such a ready-made list leaves many ladies in a stupor. Not everyone can understand that your life is a complete sinful nightmare. There is no need to despair. Consult with the priest, he will briefly explain everything and tell you what and why. No one will invade your personal life, because only God knows why this is so and what you did to deserve it. Having gone through the secret of confession, you will be able to figure it out and draw the right conclusions, improve your position in life and take the right path to correcting life’s mistakes. You can discuss birth control with your priest, because abortions are a mortal sin, and it is better to avoid this in time than to repent later for the rest of your life.

List of possible sins:

• She was not happy with her position in society, her environment, her life;
• She was angry with her children, screamed, doubted them;
• She did not trust doctors, doubted their competence;
• Misled herself;
• She set a bad example for her children;
• I was jealous;
• Was the cause of scandals;
• The most terrible and deadly sin is PRIDE. It is very difficult to fight with him, almost no one notices him, but they yak very often. If you learn to catch yourself in the I, switch to WE, then you are on the right path.
• She did not pray and rarely read prayer, did not come to the temple of God;
• During the service, I thought about worldly problems;
• She had abortions herself, and pushed others to this idea;
• I thought badly about people, discussed them;
• Read obscenities or watched obscene films;
• She used foul language, lied, was jealous;
• She was offended for no reason, showing her Self to others;
• She wore indecent clothes, too short and provocative, thereby provoking excessive male attention and female envy;
• I was afraid for my appearance and figure;
• I thought about death;
• She ate too much, drank alcohol, took drugs;
• Refused help;
• I visited fortune tellers and fortune tellers.
• She believed in all sorts of superstitions;

Complete confession of sins for women

You need to trust the priest and tell everything:

• If you have not confessed before, then you need to tell about all the offenses you have committed since the age of seven. Hidden sin doubles, it is more difficult to atone for it;
• If they confessed, then from the last confession;
• Talk about your sinful thoughts and desires;
• Abortion plays an important role. If they did, and more than one, it’s worth mentioning all of them;
• If you were married more than once, cohabited in a civil marriage, or had several men, also;
• If you have children from more than one husband, also;

The priest must understand what you need to do, read, how many days to fast, and how exactly to fast. That is why he is the right hand of the Lord.

Sins in confession in your own words

I repent, Lord. Sinful. The world is a sinful place and I am no better. I despair, I get offended, I get angry. I skip fasting on both Wednesday and Friday. I don’t strictly adhere to fasting. Sometimes I overeat and get lazy. I scream at my husband and children. I don't trust people. I don't do my job well. I'm worried that I don't have enough money. I don’t trust the Lord, I rely only on myself, etc.

Full confession of sins

There are several options for confession. Short, involves a description of completed actions, words or deeds. A full confession also includes thoughts and desires. This is the kind of confession that monks undergo. Believers, if they wish, can also undergo such complete purification of the soul. To do this, you need to consult with the priest, or read the relevant literature.

Confession: how to write a note with sins

The sheet must be divided into parts:

• Sins against parents and relatives;
• Sins against oneself;
• Sins against God.

Many people think that by writing down their misdeeds on a piece of paper, they are doing wrong, but when they come to confession, they forget half of their sins and get confused. Such a presentation of your thoughts will streamline the confession itself, and will not allow you to forget or hide something.

There is an opinion that writing sins on a piece of paper is no longer a secret, but a banal reading.

In confession, it is important to repent, to understand what was perfect and not to allow such acts to happen again. That is why it is worth considering transferring sins onto paper as a reminder or hint.

List of sins in confession for men

It is harder for men to admit their misdeeds, words, sins. They may even believe that they are not to blame for anything. In their opinion, only women are guilty. Therefore, repent and confess only to him.But this is far from true. Men are no less sinful. In some ways, they discuss and gossip more than we do. But hot temper and narcissism are generally a separate topic for conversation.

Possible sins:

• Conversations in church and during services;
• Allowing doubts in faith;
• Manifestation of cruelty, pride, laziness;
• Greed or extravagance;
• Avoiding helping his wife and children, misleading them;
• Disclosure of other people's secrets;
• Inclination to sin;
• Drinking alcohol, smoking drugs;
• Passion for card games, slot machines, inducing others to this debauchery;
• Participation in thefts, fights;
• Narcissism;
• Insolent behavior, the ability to humiliate loved ones;
• Manifestations of negligence and cowardice;
• Fornication, seduction, adultery.

This is not a complete list of male sins. Humanity treats most of the above as a matter of course and does not consider it a sin at all.

Examples of sins for confession

People sin each in their own way. One considers his action to be the norm, for another it is a mortal sin.

Here is an approximate list of possible options:

• Not faith in the Lord God;
• Doubts;
• Ingratitude to the Savior;
• No desire to wear a cross;
• Not the desire to defend your opinion about God in front of non-believers;
• They swore by the Lord to justify themselves;
• They called on God, asked for help in vanity and unbelief;
• They called the Lord;
• They stayed and attended non-Christian churches;
• Hostility;
• They resorted to the help of sorcerers and fortune tellers;
• Read or preached false teachings about God;
• They played all kinds of games: cards, slot machines;
• They refused to fast;
• They didn’t read the prayer book;
• Wanted to commit suicide;
• They used foul language;
• Don't go to church;
• You think badly of priests;
• Watch TV or sit at the computer instead of helping loved ones or doing something around the house;
• You despair and do not ask God for help;
• Relying too much on others;
• You deceive the priest during confession, or do not trust him;
• Has a quick temper;
• Treat people arrogantly;
• Show others your pride and vanity;
• You lie to your loved ones and acquaintances;
• You mock the poor, the incompetent;
• Show your stinginess, or excessive wastefulness;
• Your children are not being raised in the faith and fear of the Lord;
• You don’t help the needy, the disadvantaged;
• Do not come to the aid of your parents;
• You resort to theft;
• Do not behave decently at a wake, allow alcohol to get the better of you;
• You can kill your interlocutor with a word;
• Slander;
• Bring a person to sinful thoughts about death;
• Abortion, inducing others to do so;
• Imposing your thoughts;
• Cult of money;
• Showing yourself to people as a benefactor;
• Excessive overeating, drunkenness;
• Adultery, fornication, incest.

Confession of prodigal sins

Fornication is considered a very serious sin. Previously, such offenses resulted in excommunication from communion for up to 7 years. It is located inside the person himself, in his subconscious. It eats a person from the inside. Being in such a sophisticated state makes you feel euphoric. You no longer feel like reading a prayer. God does not like such sinners; he is disgusted by the mere thought of them. But at the same time, having repented, they will be forgiven faster than anyone else.

As the holy fathers say, three days of intense prayer, fasting, and repentance are enough to earn the Lord’s forgiveness.

It’s a terrible shame, of course, but it’s better to tell and repent than to carry this abomination inside yourself. And if your family is also expecting a child, even more so. Why torment the unborn soul of a baby. After all, we shift our sins onto our children. And then we wonder why they are sick or have many problems in life!

In this case, you should not write a note to the priest. Like, read it, while I go to the store or smoke! This is a kindergarten! When we sinned, we were not ashamed before God, but before our priest, yes!

The most important! They repented. Have mastered the material covered. Correct your mistake! Don't repeat it! By repeating, you automatically become a hypocrite!

May the Lord protect you from temptation.

Confession of the sin of masturbation

The concept is ambiguous, and the sin is very serious. In the Christian faith it is called masturbation, or masturbation. Loving yourself with your own hands is the same sin as cheating on your spouse or having too many girls. It is very difficult to get rid of such a cunning passion. Father needs to be told everything in detail, he will ask many questions. It is necessary to get to the bottom of this sin, since this is the tip of the iceberg, the root of the problem is much worse and hides deep in the subconscious, hiding behind other obvious sins.

To confess means to undergo a small judgment of God. Only you will blush and be ashamed. And there, in that world, at God’s judgment, all your deceased relatives will be ashamed, you can’t hide anything there. Therefore, if you have sinned, repent, here and now.

In the old days, this sin was punished by strict fasting, by sitting on bread and water for 40 days. During the service they bowed tirelessly.

The Holy Scripture says: “If anyone has sinned, forgive him, and all his sins will be forgiven. And if you don’t forgive someone, that’s where they’ll stay.”

Doing something like this means wasting your energy and life resources in vain. This behavior suggests that the Orthodox is weak-willed, weak-willed, and does not have the fortitude to control his desires.The Church does not take this for granted. Since for natural permissible fornication there must be two, husband and wife. This is the only way they get approval. Everything else is sin and immoral.

Priests say about masturbation that it is unclean. It was precisely this sin that struck down the son of Patriarch Judah Onan. To receive pleasure, you need God's blessing for a church marriage. And it’s easier to join it than to be under constant sinful addiction.

Maybe even the female gender will succumb to sin. The church condemns him no less than men. It follows from this that they also need to repent.

Masturbation also occurs among teenagers, girls and boys. At this age, this is more of an unconscious act, which leads to a bad hyena, too tight clothes. Parents are obliged to look after their children and control their behavior. It is more difficult to correct this problem; children, as a rule, do not understand the full depth of the problem, and do not realize what they are to blame for.

You should spend as much time as possible with them, change clothes if this is the reason. Register your child for swimming. Find the cause of the problem. Read spiritual literature to your child and subtly explain that this is a sin.

The priest will help you choose the necessary prayers that will help you get rid of this addiction.

List of sins for confession with explanations

• I don’t go to confession, I don’t go to church, or I come to services extremely rarely.I do unnecessary things on my days off and don’t say prayers.I don't understand what my sins are.
• I am not in the habit of thanking God.I don’t pray morning and evening. She blamed God and didn’t believe in him.
• She gave her pets human names.
• I listened to swearing and gossip.She swore, thereby swearing at the Mother of God. I listened to vulgarities.
• She received communion without preparation, fasting, or prayers.
• She broke her fast and prepared lunch from forbidden foods. She commemorated deceased relatives with alcohol.
• She wore indecent clothes, thereby seducing men and calling for fornication.
• Civil marriage, fornication.
• She had abortions, thereby killing her children, trying to avoid difficulties in life.
• She set a bad example for the children, screamed, beat, did not bring them into church, did not teach prayer, fasting, restraint.
• She was interested in occult sciences, magic, etc., conducted meditations, attended martial arts sections, which led to communication with demons.
• She took other people's things, loans, things, and did not return them, which brought suffering to people.
• She boasted, put herself on display, showed everyone her goodness, thereby humiliating them.
• She violated traffic rules, thereby creating risky situations.
• She talked about her problems, cried, thereby feeling sorry for herself and justifying herself.

Sins of children in confession

Children need to be taught to church from infancy. Children do not confess until they are seven years old. It is believed that the child is still sinless. And what he says and how he acts is only our merit and the example set.It is necessary to explain to the child what confession is and why it is needed. Children must understand that they tell about their bad deeds not to their uncle in a cassock, but to God himself, that the priest is the eyes and ears of the Lord.

His attendance at church and attitude towards it depends on the child’s mood. Do not insist under any circumstances if the child is not ready, it will only harm his fragile psyche.

Parents can briefly, but correctly, explain to their child what sin is and what they are. Every parent knows the characteristics of their child. For shy children, you can offer to write a note, this way you will help him concentrate. Explain to your child that there is no need to be afraid, that you will not know about his conversation with God. He must learn to trust both you and the priest.

Children's confession list of sins

Children's sins are not as bitter as adults' sins. They are more like misdemeanors. Therefore, a child’s confession differs from an adult’s. Approximate questions that the priest may ask:

• Does your child attend church and how often? What does he do if he comes to church? Is it interesting for him to be here?
• What prayers does he know?
• Does he have a cross?
• Is he telling the truth to his parents or is he lying?
• How many friends does he have, and what kind of relationships do they have? Does he show intolerance towards them? How do you treat babies and girls?
• What does he do and what are his interests? Does he show pride in his achievements?
• Does he have any favorite pets? How does he feel about them?
• Does he love his parents?

Teenage sins for confession

Older children are more susceptible to outside influences, such as friends, the street. They defend their point of view, their opinion. Unfortunately, in the rhythm of big cities, there is not always time to control where they are, who they are friends with, what they watch and what sites they visit! Therefore, it is important to teach a teenager to trust, if not you, then at least the priest. He definitely won’t give bad advice, and will definitely take the teenager’s side and suggest the right way out of the current situation. And he probably won’t criticize, like many parents.

It is during adolescence that children manage to get themselves into different situations and try to get out of them themselves, thinking that they are already adults and have enough experience. They are afraid to confess to their parents and consult with friends.

By attending church and trusting God through the priest, a teenager can avoid many difficult situations. Don’t ruin your life, don’t take the path of sin from such a young age.

What can a priest ask:

• What does he say if someone has a better one, for example a telephone?
• Did he steal? If so, what did you do next? Was he ashamed?
• How does he behave with children from poor families? Is there envy towards the children of rich parents?
• Doesn't he laugh at disabled people and sick children?
• How does he feel about cards, alcohol, drugs?
• Does he help elders, for example, with household chores?
• Is he deceiving his parents by saying that he is sick?
• How does he study? Is he skipping school?
• Does he have an addiction to TV, computer, telephone? And how does he understand this?
• How does he treat elders? Does he respect mom and dad?
• Shouldn't he say bad words?
• What does he think of girls when they wear short skirts? Girls, why do they need clothes that are short or too tight? Do they seduce boys?
• Is he doing something that makes you feel ashamed?
• Can he tell his parents about all his actions?
• Doesn't he watch adult films and related sites?
• Did you take someone else's things, money?
• Does he correct his committed actions?
• Does he repent of what he has already done?

Are all sins forgiven in confession?

There are no sinners whom the Savior could not ask. If a person repents in confession, he can receive forgiveness. The sin that the church cannot forgive is profanity against the Lord, the Church and its laws.

The Lord forgives all sins. Because of his love for us, he suffered and was crucified. He accepts all sinners, gives them a second chance, and believes that they can reform.

The question is whether a person who has sinned can forgive himself. And if he caused pain and suffering, even more so.

If you missed something or forgot to tell the priest during the service, then when confirmation is performed, your sins will be forgiven. Such services are held in the evening, on Saturdays or on holidays.