How to start confession in church? The article describes what you need to say to the priest or write in a note.
Confession is part of the rite of repentance in the presence of a clergyman. A Christian admits his sins before the Creator. Confession is an important Sacrament for a person, his spiritual existence and salvation. Repentance as the foundation of spirituality.
Read another article on our website on the topic: “How to pray correctly at home, in church, in front of an icon, relics, so that God hears and helps us: Orthodox church rules . You will find out whether and how to pray correctly in your own words, and what basic prayers an Orthodox Christian should know and read.
In this article we will tell you how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest when you first approach him. You will also find out what the priest asks during confession. Read on.
Confession to a priest: why is it considered that this is the beginning of a new life?
Confession to a priest
Sinfulness is dirt, and confession is cleansing from spiritual dirt. Sin is poison for the soul. By repentance you can be cured of the poison of sin. That is why it is believed that this is the beginning of a new life. To heal his soul, a person needs to go to church. Many people ask the question: why is it necessary to confess in church and in the presence of a priest? God hears everyone who has sinned, but asking him for forgiveness will not be enough. Eg:
- If a person falls into the mud and is ashamed of it, then he will not become cleaner.
- For purification you will need an external source of water.
- To cleanse your soul of sin, you need to go to church and perform the washing process - the Sacrament of Confession.
It is not always easy to forgive the repentant, but it is so necessary to repent to the one who was offended. The most important thing is to repent before the Heavenly Father, because only he gives salvation. Only before Him does man have many sins.
God will see a broken heart
The significance of repentance is so great that it transforms a sinner into a righteous person.
It is not easy to decide to lead a Christian life, to change, but it is necessary to do this so as not to perish completely. Let the first (second, third) confession be imperfect, that’s not scary. It is much more dangerous to carry a heavy burden within yourself and not repent at all. The Lord sees our intentions, aspirations, attempts to lag behind passions, repentance. This will definitely count. Others confess as if they were giving a 5-page report on their sins, but there is no contrition in their soul. Another will say three words and leave justified, like a publican who does not dare raise his eyes to heaven, saying: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” It is important to see the abomination of your deeds and actions. Be horrified and hate them. Feel sincere disgust, with determination not to repeat this again.
How to properly prepare for general confession?
Full recognition requires preliminary preparation. At this service, a person will have to present to the clergyman many facts from his life at one time. It is best to write down all these sinful events and bring them with you. How to properly prepare for general confession?
- Before the ceremony, a person should think carefully about what guilt he has before God and others.
- It is important to remember all the bad thoughts and deeds.
- It is necessary to analyze all the commandments of God.
- Remember why your close relatives scold you, because they see more from the outside.
- If possible, say “Sorry” to everyone who has ever been offended. Remember that you can offend through words, actions, misunderstanding, and indifference. We need to make peace with everyone.
- If this does not work out, then you need to make peace in your mind and in your heart.
- There is no need to justify your personality or blame strangers for your mistakes.
Before the Sacrament is performed, it takes 3 to 7 days to prepare; you should fast for three days and say prayers. All your sinful and correct actions in life are reviewed. A pre-prepared general confession with various explanations will help you see your life path from the outside. This will help you understand in which direction you need to move next.
It is very important to find a good confessor to conduct the ceremony. But not everyone wants to open up to a priest. It is best to go to a clergyman you already know.
A detailed list of women's sins
When repenting, it is worth mentioning the most important events, omitting minor and unimportant actions. The acts that women should confess to are divided into several main types. The list of major sins includes:
- pride. It means an unwillingness to lead a simple worldly life, a contemptuous attitude towards others, disrespect for neighbors, an unwillingness to submit to God’s will, to be merciful, meek and humble;
- vanity. Such a sin consists of excessive attention to one’s appearance, preference for material values over spiritual ones, hypocrisy and pretense, the desire to gain fame and draw material income from it;
- love of money. It affects those who want to accumulate personal property and admire it, dream of wealth, strive for it dishonestly, and refuse to help the poor;
- anger. This sin looks like irritability, grumpiness, conflict, and a desire to get into arguments. Anger also includes inciting hatred, physical and moral violence against the weaker;
- adultery. This includes intimate relationships outside of legal marriage, participation in immodest conversations, masturbation, intemperance during fasting and church holidays, the practice of various kinds of perversions, unclean thoughts, indecent behavior, wearing seductive clothes, provocative makeup;
- gluttony. For people susceptible to such sins, carnal food comes first. Gluttonians do not observe fasts, eat before morning prayer, strive to eat refined rather than simple dishes, are satiated with food beyond measure, and are addicted to tea, coffee, and alcohol;
- despondency and laziness. The first sin is manifested in the lack of joy from life given by the Lord, the inability to notice the miracles created by God around oneself. Laziness takes the form of constant drowsiness, reluctance to work honestly, and a desire for frequent celebrations and feasts.
The list of sins for women can be supplemented by narcissism, passion for esotericism, taking the life of a child (abortion), and violation of marital fidelity.
When preparing for confession, you should remember: in case of sincere repentance and humility, the Lord forgives all sins committed. The only thing that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, lack of faith, resistance to God's help.
Beginning of confession: what are the correct words to start repenting before the priest in church, example
Confession before a priest
Don’t be late for your services, come to God’s house by 7-30 in the morning if you confess in the morning. If in the evening, then by 16-30 (but it is better to check the time with those who serve in the temple). The appearance of a Christian believer should be modest. It is forbidden to wear provocative dresses, skirts and blouses, large beads or earrings and use perfume with a strong aroma. A woman must cover her head.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: During critical days, it is better not to visit the temple for services and, especially, for Communion.
Get in the right mood in advance. A Christian is obliged to be deeply respectful when turning to the Lord during times of need. First, the believer fully admits his sinfulness and begins to list all his misdeeds. It is necessary to mention not only committed offenses, but also bad thoughts.
What are the correct words to begin repenting before the priest in church? To begin the demands in God's house, you can use the following words - example:
Next, speak out your sins towards God, your loved ones and your personality.
How to greet the priest during confession?
Some Orthodox Christians have a question about turning to a clergyman. How to greet the priest during confession? First it is important to greet and say:
- “Bless me, father!”
Only someone equal in rank can shake hands with a clergyman. Other people, and even deacons, when talking with him, can only receive a blessing from him. To do this, you need to fold your palms in the form of a cross, the right one on top of the left one. One must accept the blessing hand and kiss it as a sign of honoring the sacred office. Don’t be shy, all believers do this.
You can be blessed by him if you suddenly meet on the street, and not only when he is in a church ceremony. The priest can be dressed in a regular suit. You can talk to him on the street, in a store, at a market, or in any public place. But you should not approach an uncovered priest outside the church to receive a blessing if he does not know you personally.
"Life is a striped thing"
Cooling in faith can occur both after a formal attitude towards it and after “burning”. I had such a parishioner. I came to the temple, everything literally shines. That’s what I called her: Your Excellency. He told her: “Look, you are so happy now. This is amazing. But your present joy is a gift from God. It needs to be preserved. It's not that simple at all." She was happy for about a year. And then some young man appeared in her life, and she left the Church. This happens, unfortunately. God grant that she finds her way to God.
And it happens that a person seems to have overcome the cooling after such a “burning”, everything seems to have improved for him, and now he again feels some kind of stagnation in his spiritual life. Life is a striped thing. And spiritual life can be compared to climbing a step pyramid. You climb and climb, you come to a level place, there seems to be no change. But you still move, approaching another slope. And so you start climbing again.
That's how it should be. The main thing is not to give up, not to lose heart, not to put up with sin, with what you cannot put up with, and you don’t need to force something out of yourself. If you feel that you don’t have it, ask. The Lord is the giver of all good things. If you feel that you cannot repent, pray: “Lord, teach me to repent, give me the opportunity to sincerely worry about the sins I commit, and give me the strength to fight them.” We need to see our sins all the time and not be horrified, but thank God when He reveals them to us.
How to start a note on paper for confession: what words to write in order to repent correctly?
A huge number of people visit the temple, but not everyone has the courage to speak out loud about their sinfulness and what they have done. First, you should approach the clergyman and ask him to set a time for confession. When you meet, you can have a one-on-one conversation. Before the rite of Confession, you need to read the Penitential Canon. It is he who will set a Christian in the right mood and remove all bad thoughts.
How to start a note on paper for confession? What words should I write to properly repent?
- You can write first, as you will say: “BLESS, FATHER!”
Then jot down a list of sins on a blank sheet of paper so that you don’t forget anything later due to excessive worry. Not only the seven deadly sins are included in this list. There are many others:
For ladies it could be:
For men:
If you have any of these sins or maybe others, write on a piece of paper that is prepared for confession. Below is even more useful information. Read on.
Sample confessional text
You can write your confession on a piece of paper in your own words. In this case, you need to make a short introduction in which it is customary to ask for forgiveness of existing sins. At the end of confession, you must sincerely turn to God with a request for forgiveness of sins and repent of everything you have done.
Below is an example of a confessional text for women.
“I confess, the sinful servant of God (name), before the face of the Lord God Almighty in all my sins, committed in deed, word or thought.
She sinned in that she was proud, conflicted, irritable, wanted to live in wealth, but did not work for it properly, despised simplicity, did not respect her neighbors, did not fully follow God's will, did not learn humility, was misled by her appearance, decorated herself to attract male attention.
She also sinned in that she put material things above all else, did not develop spiritually, mocked the weak and poor, envied other people’s successes and wealth, wanted harm to other people, did not abstain during fasting, did not honor holy holidays, wanted to eat gourmet food, smoked and used alcohol.
I sinned with laziness, idle talk, jealousy, gossip, and discussion of others. She wondered for the future, believed horoscopes, mentioned the name of God in vain, prayed rarely and inattentively, did not read the Holy Scriptures, did not go to church services, and did not have due respect for Divine icons and shrines.
I sincerely repent of my sins, I ask the Lord to forgive me for the evil I have committed and I promise not to repeat bad deeds in the future. I ask God to give me strength to avoid new sins. I promise to make every effort to henceforth live as a true Christian should and follow the Divine commandments. Amen".
What words should you use to end confession in church: what to say, example
Confession to a priest
It is very important to complete the service correctly in church. What words should I use to say what? When Confession is completed, you must repent of wrongdoings and humbly ask the Creator for forgiveness of your sins - example:
After confession, you should try to avoid repeating the mistakes you have made. Each time this is counted as an even more complex and dangerous sin for a person. The clergyman who performed the ritual will advise how to behave correctly and begin an existence worthy of a true believer.
What does the priest ask in confession?
The priest himself asks the person during confession: “WHAT HAS HE SINNED BEFORE THE CREATOR?” .
There is no need to spell out everything in detail; it is worth listing all sins with the correct definitions that are inherent in the church. The clergyman himself can begin to ask everything in detail, only in this case it is necessary to tell all the details of the situation.
At the end of the confession, the priest will ask whether all sins were revealed to the Creator, or whether something else was hidden. Usually he asks whether a person repents of his sins? Is there any regret about the actions taken? Will the person commit similar actions in the future? You need to answer all the priest’s questions. After this, he will cover the believer with the stole (an element of priestly vestments) and read the permissive prayer words over him.
Preparing for Communion: how to do it correctly?
The Sacrament of Communion
Before confession, it is worth preparing for at least 3 days, or better yet, a week, and it is important to fast. It is necessary to exclude foods such as meat, dairy and eggs, and sometimes fish. Spouses should not be sexually active. The whole family gives up watching TV and other entertainment and goes to church during services. They need to read prayer words morning and evening. After confession, you can receive communion at the Liturgy. How to properly prepare for this Sacrament?
Regardless of the time of the service, on the eve of the LITURGY, you need to attend the evening service. Before evening prayer rules, before going to bed, be sure to read three canons:
Each of the canons is read separately or with the help of a prayer book. There these prayers are combined together. Then the canon for Holy Communion is read before the prayer rule for Holy Communion, which are read at 5-6 in the morning . If a person cannot read all the prayer rules in 1 day, the priest may allow him to do this for all days of the fast.
It is difficult for children to follow all the rules for preparing for Communion. Parents must, together with the clergyman, choose the correct way to read the prayers. The child can start with a minimum number and then gradually add the number of words needed. This will ensure a comfortable process of preparing for the requirement. And over time, the prayer lines for Holy Communion will be observed.
Worth knowing:
- Sometimes a person cannot read the required number of prayer words. This is the reason why he does not go to confession and, accordingly, to communion for a long time.
- Preparation for repentance does not require any huge amount of prayer lines read.
- To prepare for Communion, you need to read a lot of prayer words and this causes difficulties.
- Believers should approach the Sacraments of Confession and Communion calmly.
- To begin with, it is important to prepare for confession and during this process, ask the priest for advice.
- You need to read prayer words to the Lord so that He will help you on the way to overcome problems and give you strength to prepare for the service.
You need to go to Communion on an empty stomach:
- From 12 o'clock Eating and drinking at night is prohibited (smokers do not smoke).
- Only the youngest children can have an exceptional moment. Children from a specific age period - from 5-6 years old, and if possible earlier, it is important to accustom them to the current general rule.
In the morning, don’t even go into the kitchen and give up cigarettes. In the morning you need to read the morning prayer words for Holy Communion. If this cannot be done, then the person needs to take a blessing from a clergyman to do this in the evening. Come to church for the morning Liturgy on time, before the confession process begins. If you did this in the evening, then the confessor comes at 7:30 and prays with the rest of the believers.
Ignorance is removed by acquaintance with Christ
– What about people who start going to church in adulthood and see a lot of different literature there?
- They are children too. These are babies of faith, neophytes - people who are not softened in heart. Moreover, a person can go to the temple for 30 years and remain a neophyte. There is no standard here. God finds his own approach to everyone, as long as the person opens his heart. And this requires work.
And confession and communion are, first of all, a study of Scripture. Prayer helps a lot, and you need to get used to prayer - going to services, listening to liturgical texts, psalms, poems, songs.
“But it often happens that a person comes to church almost for the first time with the desire to confess and asks how to do it.
“There are people who come to the pharmacy for treatment, and there are those who go to the doctor for treatment. And if you come to a church shop for treatment, these are your problems and your immaturity. This approach to solving the problem is unscientific and unweighted.
And the scientific approach is to consult a doctor. And if I have doubts about the doctor, I will go to the head physician and the professor. I will spend money and time on this, the most precious time is Sunday morning.
