What is sin
The word “sin”, in Greek “ἁμαρτία” (“amartia”), translated means “missing the target.” The goal of a Christian's life is to inherit the Kingdom of God. And sin is what takes you away from the chosen trajectory of movement towards eternal life. That which does not allow you to achieve your desired goal makes you miss it. Sin, like dirt, stains the purity of the soul, distancing it from God. But a Christian has a reliable “cleansing agent” - sincere prayer for the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer for forgiveness of sins
“The mother of all virtues is prayer: it can not only cleanse and nourish, but also enlighten and is able to make those who sincerely pray like the sun” (Reverend Neil of Sinai).
Prayer for forgiveness of sins
In the words of St. John Climacus: “Prayer is communication and unity of a person with God.” At every moment of his life, a Christian can fall to the Heavenly Father with a prayer for mercy.
One of the simplest and at the same time profound prayers for forgiveness is the Jesus Prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov wrote:
“In the name of the Lord Jesus revival is given to the soul deadened by sin.”
Hieromonk Anatoly of Kiev (1957-2002) adds:
“Without the Jesus Prayer there will be no salvation, because the passions in the heart cannot be killed by anything other than it. The entire Orthodox faith and all piety rest on the name of Jesus Christ. Anyone who wants to truly learn to love the Lord must necessarily practice the Jesus Prayer.”
The heartfelt prayer of a sinner sounds in the Gospel from the mouth of a publican: “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Deep humility and repentance of this prayer request should adorn the life of every Christian.
From the lips of the Holy Fathers, who were aware of the countless number of their sins, prayers were tirelessly raised to God for forgiveness of sins and help. These prayers were included in the morning and evening rules. An Orthodox Christian has the invaluable opportunity every day in morning and evening prayers to combine his prayerful lamentation for sins with the appeals of great saints.
However, no matter what prayers a person reads, the words alone will be a simple shock of air. If at the same time you do not imbue prayer with awareness of your weakness, true humility and deep repentance for the sins you have committed. Then “reading” the rule will be a futile exercise.
Preparation for Communion
Unlike Repentance, Communion in most cases requires careful preparation. Firstly, Christians from the age of 7 can begin the Eucharist only after Confession, having received permission from the priest. In some cases (for example, after committing particularly serious sins), the priest may not allow the penitent to receive Communion. However, if both Sacraments in which a person is going to take part take place at the same service, in any case one must prepare to receive the Holy Gifts.
Preparation begins with fasting. Eucharistic fasting most often lasts a week or three days. During this period, it is customary not to consume dairy and meat products, eggs, and, on days of especially strict fasting, fish. For infants, pregnant and lactating women, as well as for those suffering from diseases that require a special regimen for taking medications, food fasting with blessing can be softened or even canceled. You should also avoid entertainment, watching TV, going to the theater and listening to secular music, and spouses should refrain from physical intimacy. Particular attention should be paid to maintaining peace with others. “Be reconciled to those who have grieved you,” such a call sounds in prayer before receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Without complying with this requirement, it is prohibited to begin the Cup.
You need to take communion on an empty stomach - after midnight the night before, it is forbidden to consume any food, drink, or brush your teeth. Those suffering from tobacco addiction also need to refrain from smoking during this period.
The path to forgiveness is repentance
The first words that Jesus Christ said when he went out to preach were: “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). And this is no coincidence. God wants and is ready to forgive all our sins. But the Creator endowed man with free will and the ability to be creative. For a spiritual connection to take place, our willingness to accept this boundless forgiveness from the Lord is necessary. It is not enough to simply acknowledge your sin. A firm determination is required to forever renounce committing a sinful act. After all, the word “repentance” means, translated from Greek, “change of mind,” “change of thoughts.”
“To repent means to feel in your heart the lies, madness, and guilt of your sins. It means to realize that they have insulted their Creator, Lord, Father and Benefactor, who is infinitely holy and infinitely abhors sin. It means with all my soul to desire correction and atonement for them” (Righteous Saint John of Kronstadt).
Sin inflicts deep wounds on the human soul. Repentance can be compared to hydrogen peroxide, which helps to disinfect a sinful wound and speed up its healing. For complete recovery, the injury must be covered with a bandage. Such a healing patch is the Sacrament of Confession.
What prayers should I read before confession and communion?
Before confession and communion, one should not only fast, but also prepare with prayer. The prayer before confession is the prayer of Simeon the Theologian. The prayer book also contains prayers of repentance, which are also recommended for reading.
Before communion:
- Fast 3 days before Holy Communion. Avoid meat and dairy products.
- Before the day of communion, visit the temple during the evening service.
- Read the rules before Holy Communion.
- From midnight until communion, do not eat or drink water.
- Come at the beginning of the liturgy, and not at the time of confession. It is important to be in church during the entire service.
Communion is necessary for both children and adults
To begin Holy Communion in the evening, you must read the canons:
- Repentant to Jesus Christ
- Prayer service to the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Guardian Angel
Also find troparia and songs for Holy Communion in the prayer book and read them.
Sacrament of Confession
The sacrament of confession is God's greatest gift to man. Having brought deep repentance in his heart for the sinful acts he has committed, the Christian reveals them to the priest.
“Open your conscience before God, show Him your wounds and ask Him for healing, show Him who does not reproach, but heals, He sees everything, even if you are silent. Tell me, so that you can benefit, tell me that, having laid aside all your sins here, you can go there clean and sinless and get rid of the future unbearable discovery of them” (St. John Chrysostom).
According to the word of Christ, the clergy took over from the apostles the power to bind and loose human sins (Matt. 18:18). After sincere confession of sins, the repentant priest reads a prayer to God for forgiveness - the so-called prayer of permission. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, at the moment of the Sacrament of Confession, forgives the sins of a repentant person.
Having thrown off the heavy burden of sins, a person receives Divine grace. He gains joy and peace of mind, strength to fight his passions and disgust for his sinful inclinations. Such an inner mood is evidence of true repentance and forgiveness from God.
“The surest sign by which every repentant sinner can find out whether his sins are truly forgiven by God is when we feel such hatred and disgust from all sins that we would rather agree to die than to arbitrarily sin before the Lord” (St. Basil the Great ).
How to talk about handjob in confession?
All people are sinners, everyone has their own. Masturbation is also a sin. And it is necessary to repent of it. But very often a situation occurs that people who spoke about such a sin in confession continued to do so.
You should understand for yourself that you should get rid of the sin of masturbation. After the first confession about this sin, try not to succumb to temptation anymore. If willpower is not yet strong enough, then it is necessary to go to church for confession after each handjob.
Ask God to give you the strength to get rid of sin. Repent and talk to the priest. Don’t be embarrassed, the temple minister will listen and support you and give advice.
All sins must be confessed
Confession is a means of cleansing the soul and an impetus to a new, correct life. If you feel spiritual heaviness or sorrow does not leave you, visit the temple. There you will find help and support for your soul. and at the same time you will find peace and good spirits.
Medicine of Immortality - Communion
The main place in the life of the Church and every Christian is occupied by the Sacrament of Communion. This is the greatest miracle given by God to man, incomprehensible even to the Heavenly Angels. By uniting in Communion with Christ Himself, a person is sanctified by Divine grace. He receives reinforcement of his strength to fight passions, and is washed from sinful impurity.
“Christians have this Heavenly Fire as food for themselves; he is peace for them, he cleanses and washes and sanctifies their heart, he leads them to growth, he is air and life for them” (Reverend Maximus of Egypt).
The Sacrament of Communion was established by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, where, according to Old Testament custom, the Easter meal was eaten. Going to free suffering for the sins of all mankind, Christ fills the Old Testament Easter with new meaning. Having taught the disciples wine and bread, which became His Precious Blood and Most Pure Body, Jesus Christ commanded to continually perform this Sacrament:
“...do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). Pointing to the healing and saving power of Communion, the Lord said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:53-54).
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt:
“The Holy Gifts contain great power, for they are the Body and Blood of the Lord God, the Word of the Almighty Jesus Christ, imparted at the Liturgy of bread and wine by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they themselves correct, heal, sanctify everyone who approaches the great sacrament.”
A person becomes a true Christian precisely in the Sacrament of Communion, opening his body, soul and heart to Christ.
What words to start confession with, how does confession go?
Confession is a bath that washes the soul from sinful filth. It is not enough to simply admit your sin. You need to go to church and repent before God in confession.
If some do not understand why it is necessary to go to the temple, then one more example should be given. The church is like a hospital for the soul. But if we are sick in the body, then we visit the hospital? So it is with the soul, it is necessary to heal it in the church.
During confession, you come to church and listen to the words of the holy father, “Behold, child, Christ stands invisibly, accepting your confession...”. This is how the confession itself begins. Next, you bow your head over the lectern, the holy father covers you with stole, and you can already express what is in your soul. At this time, the index and middle fingers must be placed on the Gospel or cross.
Confession in the temple
After your words, the priest may ask you some questions and also clarify whether you repent of this sin. After you have repented, the rector of the temple reads a prayer of permission. Next you need to kiss the cross and the Gospel.
There are no formalities or obligations in preparing for confession. You don't have to say any specific words. In order to confess, you do not need to select a specific day or church holiday.
Necessary during confession
All you need is the call of your soul and the desire to cleanse yourself. Preparing for confession is the moment when you have analyzed your life and actions and realized that you are doing something wrong.
After confession, you can take a blessing from the priest. To do this, place your right hand on top of your left and say: “Father, bless.”
The priest makes the sign of the cross and places his hand on your palms. You need to kiss your father's hand. If after confession you plan to take communion, then also ask for a blessing for this.
How to ask God for forgiveness for sins
One should not think that simply reading prayers, even repeatedly and regularly, will automatically bring forgiveness of sins. Prayer is not a magical conspiracy, but living communication with the Lord. Therefore, it is important to realize your weakness and, with humility and tears of repentance, ask God for help in the fight against sinful passions. Prayer must be supported by deeds of mercy and goodness.
According to St. Macarius the Great:
“If humility, love, simplicity and grace are not associated with prayer and are not generated by it, then this is not prayer, but a guise of prayer.”
In the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus Christ gave in response to the request of the disciples to teach them to pray, there are the words: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). This means that one of the main conditions for God’s forgiveness of sins is the reconciliation of a person with his offenders.
Righteous John of Kronstadt:
“...if you want and love God to forgive your sins, consider it commonplace to forgive the sins of people who sin against you, knowing that love is long-suffering and merciful.”
Prayer for forgiveness of serious sins
God's mercy is limitless. However, there are sins that cause very deep wounds to the soul. Their treatment requires a large amount of time and a special prayer for repentance of sins and forgiveness. For example, it is the sin of murder.
Life and death are the greatest Divine secrets, into which no one has the right to interfere. Only God knows the best moment for a person to leave this temporary earthly life. Therefore, murder is an attack on the power of the Lord Himself.
Abortion is also considered this terrible crime. The fetus in the womb is very small, but human. And termination of pregnancy is no more and no less - the deliberate murder of a child.
As Archpriest Andrei Tkachev says:
“Abortion does not annul a pregnancy, but makes a woman the mother of a murdered child.”
With deep contrition and hot tears of repentance, one must pray for the forgiveness of these sins.
