How to prepare for confession, what to say to the priest

Hello, dear readers!

How to prepare for confession and communion? Preparing for confession and communion, especially for the first time, raises many, many questions. I remember my first communion. How difficult it was for me to figure everything out. In this article you will get answers to the questions: what to say in confession to a priest - an example? How to take communion and confession correctly? rules for communion in church? How to confess for the first time? how to prepare for communion? The answer to these questions is given by the modern Greek preacher Archimandrite Andrei (Konanos) and other priests. Other useful articles: What is communion in church and why is it needed?

Sacraments of the Holy Church

One of the main goals of the Orthodox Church is the sanctification and blessing of its members through the Holy Sacraments.

A sacrament is a sacred action through which the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to the person participating in its performance. There are 7 Sacraments in the Orthodox Church and each of them is performed at a certain moment in human life:

1. Baptism. It is performed on a person who wants to become a Christian, that is, a disciple and follower of Christ. It is done once in a lifetime. During this Sacrament, a person renounces Satan and immerses his entire body in water three times. The meaning of this sacred rite is the death of a person for this world and his birth for a new life in Christ Jesus.
2. Confirmation . It is closely related to Baptism. During this sacred rite, individual parts of a person’s body are anointed with myrrh, a specially prepared fragrant oil. In apostolic times, this Sacrament was performed by the laying on of hands, and then took the form of anointing. If during Baptism a person is born into a new life, then Confirmation gives strength to follow the Lord. This power does not automatically act in a Christian; having received it, we must develop what is given and make efforts to build our lives according to the commandments of God.
3. Blessing of Anointing (Unction). This Sacrament is performed in those cases when a person needs the grace of God for strengthening in bodily and mental infirmities. Unction involves not just participation in the Sacrament itself, but also the desire to correct one’s life, to free it from sins. Blessing of oil is the spiritual help that we receive to achieve eternal life and our salvation.
4. Wedding. It is performed on those people who want to enter into a marriage union to create a family. In the Sacrament of Marriage, grace is given for building family life, so that it does not take place on its own, but the Lord himself guides it. Marriage implies the birth of a new life, that is, children, and God’s blessing is also given for this during the Wedding.
5. Eucharist. The sacrament is performed at the Liturgy. During the service, the bread and wine mysteriously become the Body and Blood of the deceased and risen Lord Jesus Christ. Believers receive communion, that is, they partake and receive the Savior Himself into themselves. We read about the need to do this for our salvation in the Gospel:

We need Communion to heal the nature damaged by sin through union with Christ. It is this method of connection that affects not only our soul, but also our body when we eat and drink the Holy Gifts. Participation in the Eucharist is participation in the Last Supper itself, which we read about in Holy Scripture.

1. Confession. During this Sacrament, a Christian receives forgiveness of sins from God. The priest acts as a witness of repentance and at the end of the confession announces forgiveness of sins. This sacred act involves confessing one’s sins, that is, voicing them. Confession is the final stage of Repentance. To truly receive forgiveness, and not just talk about your shortcomings, you need to be aware of your actions, know the commandments of God and relate your life to them.
2. Priesthood. In this Sacrament, a person chosen by the Church is given the grace of the Holy Spirit to perform the Sacraments and perform pastoral duties in the parish community. Jesus Christ chose the apostles, and then the apostles elected individual people so that they could be elders in individual church parishes, perform sacred rites and teach people the Word of God, instruct them. In the Orthodox Church there are three ranks of the priesthood: bishop (performs all the Sacraments), presbyter (everything except the priesthood) and deacon (serves during the performance of one or another sacred rite).

Confession - what is it?

Confession is not a formal story about what you are in a negative way, but a change of mind and a desire to make life better, a cleansing of the soul. In this ritual, we bring to God our most sincere and pure prayers for him to forgive our sins. We name what we are guilty of in order to testify to what exactly we repent of and what we are ashamed of.

But no matter how we prepare, if at the same time we do not want to notice our vices, then no Confession will help us. It is important here that there is sincere Repentance, so that the “cats are scratching” in the soul and you want to cleanse yourself.

It is during this Sacrament that an Orthodox Christian receives permission for sins, that is, the Lord, in His mercy, forgives and releases the misdeeds of a repentant sinner. God also gives man strength to fight passions. And the priest can guide you on the true path and give advice on how to overcome sin.

How does the Sacrament take place?

The Sacrament of Repentance takes place in the temple at the appointed time. Most churches offer the opportunity to confess during the Liturgy, but some parishes practice Confession only in the evening before or after the evening service.

Usually the priest goes to the lectern - a special stand on which the Cross and the Gospel are placed. These objects testify to the invisible presence of the Lord himself, reminding us to whom we report.

First, the priest reads prayers before Confession, in which he asks the Lord for help and begs for mercy. After all, the priest is the same sinner as we are, he does not have the power to personally forgive sins, only God himself, through his hands, can forgive someone’s sins. Also in the prayers there is a reminder that it is “Christ who stands invisibly, receiving confession” and hiding something before the Omnipresent is not only pointless, but will also be a sin.

Then everyone in turn approaches the spiritual father. He kisses the Cross and the Gospel and begins his confessional speech. The priest may ask questions to determine how deeply you repent. You can ask the priest for advice, he can give instructions. Sometimes penance is given - a correctional punishment that must be performed with humility.

When you have finished, a prayer of permission is read, which says that your sins are forgiven. After this, you need to kiss the Cross and the Gospel again. You can ask for a blessing for Communion by placing your right palm on your left palm in front of you. If the confessor gives a blessing by crossing you and placing his hand on yours, then in return they kiss the clergyman’s hand.

Does the Orthodox Church have a common confession? How to feel about this practice?

This method of confessing sins is not so popular, but is used by priests in spiritual parish life, usually due to the large influx of people. General confession usually goes like this: the priest first reads out the sequence before Confession, and then reads special prayers, which list common sins. After this, each person in turn approaches the lectern with the Cross and the Gospel, the spiritual father covers his head with the stole and immediately reads a prayer of permission over the repentant. If a person has some passions that especially burden the soul, then the person confessing can separately name his sins, and after that the prayer book will be read.

Of course, many will be seduced by this format of the Sacrament of Repentance, because it takes a relatively short time (depending on the number of people) and frees the confessor from the obligation to name his vices. But it’s worth asking yourself the question, will such a Confession really be sincere? Will repentance be as effective as with ordinary Confession? Everyone decides for himself, but starting to look for where the general Confession takes place will definitely be blasphemy.

What should I tell my father?

Nothing extra. You need to remember that the priest is the same person as you - he will understand, so there is no need to be ashamed of anything, but you should not tempt him by starting to discuss, condemn and talk about the vices of others. Do not forget about brevity and clarity, and, at the same time, about the emotional part of your speech. This is not a dry listing - it is a cry for forgiveness, for the mercy of the Creator, which arises in the depths of the heart and breaks out to be heard. You cannot put personal repentance into a framework, tell you what to do and what not to do. It won't be right.

But general rules still need to be highlighted:

• be as brief and accessible as possible, especially if there is a large line of people behind you;
• speak to the point;
• do not start blaming others;
• do not tell everything in the smallest detail, especially the sin of fornication, condemnation;
• do not turn Confession into psychological help;
• do not be ashamed and do not hide any sins, speak truthfully and answer questions.

How to start and end Confession?

As mentioned above, Repentance, truly sincere and open, cannot be fitted into a framework. It comes from the depths of the soul. This is the Mystery of what happens inside a person at that moment when his heart is pierced not by a sense of dignity and sinfulness, but by the desire to correct himself and cleanse himself, to wash away all the dirt that torments him. Every Orthodox Christian must experience this state.

But in order to help people who are at the beginning of their journey, it is necessary to at least roughly outline the framework of Confession. Then some understanding of everything that is happening will appear and the fruits of this understanding will appear in the future.

So, if it is clear that you need to come to the Sacrament of Confession with a list of your sins and name them to the priest. Beginning Christians often have questions about how to properly start this conversation with God, first of all, and not with the priest.

Many saints, for example, St. Ignatius, wrote about the form in which confession should be made. You can and even need to contact Ignatius Brianchaninov when any questions arise about preparing for the Sacrament. For this purpose, there is his fundamental work “Helping the Penitent”, where there are answers to basic questions.

There can be many options for starting Confession, for example:

• “I, the servant of God (name), have sinned...”
• “I ask God and my loved ones for forgiveness for the sins I have committed...”
• “I repent that...”
• "Lord forgive me for what I..."

Similarly, you can let your spiritual father know that you are finished:

• “... I repent of everything I did/did”
• “...Lord, forgive all the sins mentioned and those that I did not know about”
• “... I named/named everything that I remembered/remembered. I ask forgiveness from the Lord and my loved ones.”
• “... I repent of all known and unknown sins”

You should avoid vowing that you will no longer commit this or that sin. It’s better to just promise and really try not to fall into these devil’s snares again.

If you are very worried about Confession, then simply ask the Lord or the Mother of God for help in such an important matter of saving the human soul. No one else but the Savior himself can best help you open your heart to meet him, and then the words themselves will appear.

How to prepare for Confession?

When you have decided to testify to your repentance through the Sacrament of Confession, you must properly prepare for this rite. Of course, there are different situations. Sometimes your heart is so tormented by sin that you go, even run, to the priest, just to repent faster. Then there is no time for preparation and, of course, you need to go to your confessor to clear your conscience and calm your heart.

I notice the practice that we approach preparation for Communion more scrupulously, but for some reason we practically do not prepare for the Sacrament of Repentance.

In ordinary situations, you need to prepare for Confession at least three days in advance. The first and most common question: is it necessary to fast before Confession? It is advisable to fast for these three days. It will be useful to read more prayers, for example, the canon of repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is not a rule, but more of a tradition.

The main thing in preparing for Confession is the desire not to sin. Preparation for the Sacrament should take place in abstinence: talk less, quarrel, argue, snap, pray more and think about God.

If possible, you should read more spiritual literature, it is especially useful to read works on Repentance:

• About repentance, confession, communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and correction of life (St. Theophan the Recluse).
• Sacrament of Confession. How to learn to repent and stop hiding from God (Hegumen Nektary Morozov).
• The fruits of true repentance (Scheigumen Sava (Ostapenko)).
• On preparation for the sacrament of confession (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov).

Of course, this list is individual and everyone likes different works of the Church Fathers, but reading and remembering the meaning of what is to come will never pass without leaving a trace. Don't forget to read the Holy Scriptures.

What is Repentance?

This is such a special state that is given only to man. It helps us remember the opportunity to improve. This is a kind of call of conscience that rises from the depths of the soul to help the fallen creation of God.

In simple terms, this is our awareness of sin and the desire to get rid of it.

The difference between Confession and Repentance is that you can repent at any time in any state and under any circumstances with the help of prayer. The Sacrament of Confession must take place at a certain time in a certain place and only with the participation of a clergyman as a witness.

Repentance is the beginning of the path, and its completion is Confession. This is the only way all our sins are truly forgiven. It is necessary to learn, every time you notice a sin, to say the Jesus Prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It is best when a Christian constantly says this prayer, but for this you need to practice a lot and go through a considerable number of difficulties.

To begin with, just try to pay attention to your falls and immediately, as soon as you notice, say the words of prayer and with all your heart wish to improve. This search can only be carried out with constant movement forward, that is, attempts to change something in your ordinary life. For example, start reading morning and evening prayers at the beginning and end of the day, get used to fasting, read a chapter of the Gospel every day or something from the works of the Holy Fathers. There are countless ways to spiritual growth, but it is best to start small and slowly reach some peaks.

Holy Fathers on Repentance

A lot has already been said and retold. We have already been given the way of salvation. The holy fathers wrote how to deal with each passion from their own experience and from the revelation of God, but we should only read, remember and move on to action.

For example, Ephraim the Syrian, St. John Casian, and the Optina elders have many sayings about fornication and the fight against it. The words of St. Ambrose of Optina are especially helpful:

There are also works about other human passions. John Chrysostom, Tikhon of Zadonsk, and John Climacus wrote a lot about this. Here is what Saint Philaret Drozdov says about this:

A lot has been said about Repentance in general. About its mysterious healing power. Here it will be impossible to give a complete list of all the saints who spoke or wrote about this unearthly feeling: St. Silouan of Athos, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, St. Paisius the Holy Mountain and many, many other saints of God. And every word of these people is filled with Love and Humility before the Creator.

Preparing for Confession

The need to confess in the vast majority of cases arises when:

• committing a serious sin;
• preparation for communion;
• decision to get married;
• mental anguish from the wrongdoings committed;
• serious or incurable illness;
• desire to change the sinful past.

Preparation is required before confession.
You need to find out the schedule when the sacraments are held and select the appropriate date. Typically, confession is performed on weekends and holidays; daily rituals are possible. Attention! A significant number of believers are present during the sacrament.
If you have difficulties opening your soul to a priest and repenting in front of a large crowd of people, it is advisable to contact a church minister and choose a day when you can be alone with him. Before confession, it is recommended to make a list of sins, labeling them correctly. Misdeeds committed in word, deed, and thoughts are taken into account, starting from the last repentance. In the case of the first confession in adulthood, they remember their own sins from the age of 7 or after baptism.

To get in the right frame of mind, it is advisable to read the Canon of Penance in the evening before the sacrament. It is important to go to confession in the absence of ungodly thoughts, forgive your offenders and apologize to those you have offended. Fasting before the ceremony is optional.

You should confess once a month; if desired and the need arises, you can do it more often. Women abstain from the ritual during menstruation.

Tears at Confession - is this normal?

Normal and even good. The Orthodox Church even knows the gift of tears. It is not given to everyone and is very valuable. But it must be remembered that this phenomenon has a different spiritual nature. The Fathers of the Church teach that if a Christian can become angry or irritated when crying, then these tears will not benefit him and come from something unkind. But it would be a sin to squeeze out tears; it is better to simply come to God with a sincere heart, and He, if He pleases, will send this gift.

Tears are evidence that the preparation for Confession was active. In the practice of spiritual life, usually a person first cleanses himself of passions, and then acquires the gift of tears.

But there are situations when the Lord has mercy on us and, as it were, opens our heart, touches the human soul, and as if a repentant cry arises on its own, which cannot be stopped. And there is no need, let your soul feel better. It is a joy for an Orthodox Christian to cry at Confession.

It is interesting that people who, without problems in their worldly life, can bring a stream of tears from their eyes, disappointingly declare that they cannot cry when it comes to repentance and Confession. So, our job is simply to hope for God’s mercy and that our repentance will bear fruit.

Notes on Confession

Not all priests like it when people come to them with “notebooks” of sins for Confession. They may interrupt without listening to the end and say: “That’s enough, now tell me briefly in your own words.” Especially if there is a crowd of people behind you who want to repent. Therefore, you need to be prepared for this. But if it’s easier for you to write a note, then of course, write. Remember to be brief and precise so as not to start talking about everything, but at the same time not repent of your sins.

If you are going to the Sacrament of Penance for the first time, you should write no more than one piece of paper in your notebook. Yes, you may not name all your sins, but it will be truly sincere repentance.

People who confess frequently can, at the end of each day after evening prayers, having calmed their hearts and adjusted their minds, begin to fill out their list of sins from memory, remembering and analyzing their day and all their misdeeds. All sins are written down on a piece of paper. There is no need to repeat already written sins. But if you have sinned in something that you repented of at the last Confession, you need to come to the priest again and again repent of the same vice.

How to pray for repentance:

Repentance for sins

Repentance does not involve repeatedly returning to a perfect sin; it is a true renunciation of sin and a decision not to do it again.

The smartest of books, the Bible, gives a very harsh definition in this case, comparing a person who repents and returns to his bad deeds to a dog who returns to his vomit. (Proverbs 26:11).

An Orthodox Christian does not need a priest to repent; he himself consciously condemns the wrongdoing and decides never to do that again. The Sacrament of Confession takes place directly before God, but in the presence of a priest, for it is said in Holy Scripture that Jesus is where several people gather. (Matthew 18:20)

Important! Confession is the final act of repentance. Confessed sins no longer have spiritual power in the life of a Christian; it is forbidden to even remember them. After confession, a person is clean before God and is allowed to receive the Sacrament of Communion.

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How to confess correctly: what should you tell the priest? Example for a man

Confession on the Internet

In connection with the well-known difficult situation in the world, certain people, probably completely far from the Church of Christ, began to offer to conduct the Sacraments via the Internet. But this is an unacceptable format for conducting the Sacrament. No reverence or fear of God, just ordinary talk about your shortcomings - there is no other way to perceive it. We create the appearance of repentance. The priest cannot place the epitrachelion on the head of the penitent while proclaiming the words of the prayer of absolution. Perhaps it is simply easier for us to say something because it creates the appearance of a priest’s presence through a telephone/computer connection. The only problem is that there is no meeting and effective conversation, and there is no God himself. People thus try to deceive themselves and go even deeper into darkness.

Basic rules for confessing to a woman

1. When preparing for confession at home, pray to God asking him to reveal the sins you have committed.
2. When going to church, do not rely on memory, but write down your sins on a piece of paper. Many, approaching the lectern where confession takes place, forget what to say from the experience.
3. Approaching the priest, he bows his head and, folding his hands crosswise in front of him, asks for a blessing.
4. Then place two fingers of your right hand on the Holy Crucifix, and your head on the Bible.
5. The priest covers the penitent with a piece of clothing (epistrachelion), asks his name and asks him to name the sins committed by the person.
6. If the applicant finds it difficult to say the necessary words, the confessor asks some leading questions.
7. After the end of the sacrament, a prayer of permission is said over the repentant and the veil is removed from the head.
8. The penitent crosses himself, kisses the Crucifix and the Bible.
9. The priest gives the hand to be kissed and blesses the one who has repented.

Note ! In the sacrament of confession, a person is left alone with God, and the priest is only a witness of reconciliation.

Should I use lists of sins? If yes, which ones are better?

There is a lot of literature with various lists of sins, after reading which you are surprised - either how sinful you are, or how far these lists are from you. There are also separate lists of sins for women and for men, although in fact the only difference is that women have a period of purification, when they cannot participate in the Sacraments and touch shrines. And so, in essence, there is no difference and everyone will give the answer with equal responsibility.

Yes, a list of sins for confession for beginners can bring both benefit and harm, since few books really explain in an accessible and detailed way what this or that sin means. For example, many will be able to say what molestation is?

Therefore, it is better to look for books or articles on preparing for Confession with an explanation of sins. There is a good book, “The Experience of Constructing a Confession,” the author of which is Archimandrite John Krestyankin. This work clearly explains the main sins. The first part is based on the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament, the second part is based on the Beatitudes from the New Testament. It is very useful to study it, feel it, think it over, and compare it with your life.

Is it necessary to repent of those sins that we are unable to renounce?

You need to repent as long as this sin will bind and torment you. But you also need to fight, take small steps, little by little to move towards the goal and not lose hope that the moment will come when you will be freed from these shackles. As St. John Chrysostom said: “The Lord not only accepts fruits, but also kisses intentions.”

Confessing this sin again, ask the Lord with all your soul for forgiveness and help in overcoming your destructive passion.

How to behave after Confession?

After the Sacrament has been performed, especially if you have also received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, you should try to maintain this reverent state within yourself for as long as possible. Of course, the bustle of this world will sooner or later begin to absorb the mind again, but you must try to preserve the Grace of the Holy Spirit in your soul for as long as possible.

You must try to protect yourself from sin in all your actions, and also give your entire nature to God. This can be achieved if you keep in your memory the thought of the Grace received and the opportunity of salvation given.

Even if there is no trembling state inside, and the devil often steals this amazing feeling in order to convince a person that there is no power in the Sacrament, it is still necessary to keep your soul and conscience pure and ask the Lord for a contrite heart.

In order to remain in Christ as long as possible, the holy fathers of the Church advise being laconic, avoiding quarrels and any other vanity on this day, and devoting more time to prayer and reading Holy Scripture or various teachings. You can’t do without good deeds, that is, if possible, help your neighbors and those in need, respect your elders, and the like. This way of life must be observed not only on the day when the Sacrament is performed, but, with God’s help, penetrate into the ordinary life of a Christian who wants to be with the Creator.

Of course, maintaining the Grace of the Holy Spirit within oneself for a long time will initially not be easy, but the more effort one makes and gives all one’s thoughts and actions to God, the longer Christ will be in the heart of an Orthodox Christian.

Sometimes the Lord grants this unearthly feeling to his creation at the beginning of the journey, and as time passes, the Grace becomes less and less tangible, and many begin to be disappointed. You need to take this as a test that needs to be overcome. Over time, when a person learns patience and humility and begins to surrender into the hands of God, this reverence and contrite heart will return, the feeling will come again as if the soul has ascended somewhere high, away from this vain world.

David has a chance to repent of his sins before God

God sees David's sins and sends the prophet Nathan to give him a chance to repent of his sins. The prophet tells him a parable, helping the king realize what a bad deed he has committed. Here is part of his speech to David:

The Lord sent Nathan to David, and he said: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have anointed you to be king in Israel, I have delivered you from the hand of Saul. I have given you your master's house, and I have given you your master's wives, and I have given you the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if this were not enough, I would give you even more. Why did you disregard the word of the Lord by doing what He considers evil? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife for yourself. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Thus says the Lord: I will bring trouble against you in your own house. Before your eyes, I will take your wives and give them to a man who is very close to you. And he will sleep with your wives, and everyone will know about it” (2 Samuel 12:1-11).

We don't like it when someone tells us about our sins. Personally, in my entire life I have not met a single person (and I know a huge number of people) who would be glad when someone reminds him of his sins or is simply interested in his sins. Nobody likes to talk about these topics, including me! Despite this, David finds the strength to do what is right and righteous before God.

How to deal with passions?

The struggle with passions will accompany every Christian throughout his life. The result of this war must be an answer at the judgment of God after the death of a person. Therefore, you must always be prepared for both victories and defeats.

But how to wage this fight? Firstly, never forget that the enemy does not sleep, and watch yourself and your actions. If we are more attentive to ourselves, it will be possible to understand what caused anger, irritation, agitation, and so on.

Secondly, do not lose hope in God's mercy. There is no need to bring self-abasement to such a state that you begin to think that the Lord has abandoned you and will not forgive you. The mercy of God is so limitless that the Son of Man gave his life for us. His love is so immense that the first robber and murderer to enter heaven said one phrase: “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.”

But we also shouldn’t completely forget about some boundaries and say that the Lord has already saved us and we don’t have to do anything. Excessive hope in God's mercy is the same sin as despondency and a feeling of abandonment by God.

Thirdly, never stand still. You must always go forward, get up, get up and go. Stopping will make it harder to start again. We need to look for new and better ways to achieve our goals. Read the Holy Scriptures, the works of the fathers, acquire virtues, learn to love your neighbor. There are many different paths and options, you just need the desire and readiness for a long journey.

Fourthly, take an active part in the life of the Orthodox Church. This is done through participation in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession.

How to confess correctly

It is important to come to the sacrament of repentance without delay. Confession is held in the morning or evening. Repentant believers read the rites. The priest asks the names of those who came to confession; this should be reported in a calm voice, without shouting. Those who are late do not participate in the sacrament.

It is recommended to conduct the rite of repentance with one confessor. You need to wait your turn, then turn to people with the words: “Forgive me, a sinner (sinner).” The answer is the phrase: “God will forgive, and we forgive.” After this, they approach the clergyman and bow their heads in front of the lectern - an elevated table.

Having crossed himself and bowed, the believer confesses, listing his sins. The phrase should begin with the words: “Lord, I have sinned (sinned) before You...” and reveal what exactly. The offense is reported without details, in general terms. If clarification is needed, the priest will ask. However, it is too short to say: “I am a sinner in everything!” also not allowed. It is important to list all the offenses without hiding anything. They end confession, for example, with the phrase: “I repent, Lord! Save and have mercy on me, a sinner! Next, they listen carefully to the priest and take into account his advice. After the clergyman reads the “permissive” prayer, they cross themselves and bow twice, kiss the Cross and the book of the Gospel.

Important! For serious sins, a church representative assigns penance - a punishment that may consist of reading a long prayer, fasting or abstinence. Only after its completion and with the help of the “permissive” prayer is the believer considered forgiven.

In large Temples, when there are a significant number of people, “general” confession is used. In this case, the priest lists the main sins, and those confessing repent. After this, each parishioner approaches a church representative for a “permissive” prayer.

During the first confession, it is not recommended to conduct a general ritual; a private one is preferable.

About Communion

People usually come to Confession when they are preparing for the Sacrament of Communion - taking into themselves the body and Blood of Christ. This is done in order to receive the Lord Jesus himself with a purified heart.

The Eucharist is celebrated during the Liturgy, or rather, the Liturgy is celebrated for the sake of this sacred rite. All six Sacraments of the Church are somehow connected with Communion. It is the core of the spiritual life of an Orthodox Christian. Therefore, it is so important to resort to this Holy Mystery as often as possible.

Since the significance of Communion is much higher, preparing for it requires more effort than for Confession.

Preparation can stretch not for three days, but for a week. Keep the fast for at least three days. The rule that needs to be read is larger and more mandatory. This is a penitential canon, a canon to the Most Holy Theotokos, a canon to the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus or the Mother of God, and the Follow-up to Communion itself with a special canon. Of course, it is necessary to refrain from passions and sins - to swear as little as possible, quarrel with neighbors, discuss and condemn someone, waste time on vain worldly things. You need to surrender your thoughts and deeds to God, remembering that you will soon be able to accept Him in your soul.

Before Communion itself in the morning you cannot eat or drink anything. If Communion takes place at night (at a night Liturgy, for example, on Easter or Christmas), then it is forbidden to eat 8 hours before the service, and drink 6 hours before.

The Sacrament itself occurs during the Divine Liturgy. Sacred rites are performed throughout the service, but the most crucial moment is the Eucharistic canon, which begins after the singing of “I Believe” and ends after the exclamation “Holy of Holies,” then the very acceptance of the Holy Gifts. The transformation occurs while the singers are singing “We sing to you, we sing...”. At this time, the priest reads special prayers and asks God to send his mercy and turn the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Savior Jesus Christ.

When the priest comes out with the Chalice, the people flock to It. You need to fold your arms on your chest, right to left, crosswise. This is so as not to accidentally knock over the Holy Gifts. Clearly state your name for the priest to read the prayer and open your mouth wide. When the priest puts in the particles, you need to close your mouth, swallow, kiss the Chalice and move away. Go to the table with water and prosphora so that, after drinking, you can be sure that part of the Holy Mysteries does not remain in your mouth.

After Communion, read or listen to prayers of thanksgiving in church. And try to preserve the received Grace of God within yourself for as long as possible. You can do this without falling into sin again.

Everyone has their own path and therefore it is impossible to strictly say how a person should prepare for this or that Sacrament. Someone's soul requires careful and precise preparation, while someone, under the power of emotions, simply runs to God without any rules. But it is also impossible to completely abandon the instructions, because rigor and reverence, awe before the sacred rite, will disappear. Therefore, they create general rules for preparing for a particular Sacrament. This is not a canon or charter, but certain traditions have already arisen in Orthodox practice that should be observed.

Thus, Confession requires, first of all, spiritual preparation and the desire to improve. You need to realize all your sinfulness and unworthiness, while not losing hope in God’s mercy, remember that everything is in His hands. Only God can forgive and forgive sin; He awaits our repentance. And we, as true children, must strive for light and purification; only then is sincere, complete Confession possible. God help and strengthen you in the matter of salvation.

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Inga Yamb

David commits a sin before God

David was Israel's greatest king. He had enormous power, was respected by the people and had a very close relationship with God. Despite all this, David remained a sinner in need of repentance for his sins before God. One of David's most glaring sins was his sin with the married woman Bathsheba. Here's what the Bible says about it:

One evening David got out of bed and began to walk on the roof of the king's house. From the roof of the house he saw a woman bathing. This woman was extraordinarily beautiful. David sent to find out who this woman was. The servant said to him, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” David sent servants to bring Bathsheba to him. She came to David and he slept with her. She bathed to cleanse herself of her uncleanness and then returned to her home (2 Samuel 11:2-4).

David later realized that he had sinned against God, but instead of repenting of his sin, he decided to do what most people on earth do: he decided to hide his sin. Using his power, David sends Bathsheba's husband to the hottest spot on the battlefield, where he is killed. It is possible that David would have achieved his goal if not for one “but”: David forgot that it is impossible to hide any sins from God.

David realizes his sin and decides to repent

David did something he shouldn't have done. This sinful act did not please God very much. After the prophet Nathan comes to David, David begins to realize that he has committed a terrible sin. I think that every person has a moment when he realized that he has done something bad and terrible, but has not yet decided what to do next: repent or hide the sin further. When David first sinned with Bathsheba in his royal house, he thought that everything could still be corrected. But he chose the wrong way to correct the situation. Instead of immediately repenting of his sin before God and people, he decided to hide his sin, which ultimately led to the death of innocents: Bathsheba’s husband and later the son of David himself.

David's prayer - repentance of sins before God

You and I are very lucky because the Bible has preserved for us David’s prayer, which describes his thoughts and feelings related to that situation with Bathsheba. Read this prayer in its entirety, try to put yourself in David’s place. Try to understand how David felt and what his true motives were in this prayer before God.

The song of David is about the time when the prophet Nathan came to David after David’s sin with Bathsheba. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, with Your great mercy, with Your great pity, wipe away my sins from me. Wash away my iniquities, cleanse me from all my sins. I am aware of all my crimes and miserable sins, I think about them all the time. I sinned before You, before You alone, I accept Your verdict, You are the most righteous judge. I was a sinner from birth, from the moment of conception. You want to fill me with truth, so give me wisdom. So sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will find purity; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let the voice of joy be heard by the bones broken by You. Don’t look at all my sins like that for too long, erase them. Put purity into my heart and make my spirit strong again. Don't push me away, don't take away the Holy Spirit and don't deprive me of You. Bring back to me the joys of salvation, Strengthen your spirit in me. I will teach sinners, and they will all find You. My Savior, save me from blood, I will sing Your salvation. In the name of praising righteousness, Lord, open my lips. When You accepted sacrifices, I would bring You any, but You do not accept gifts. A broken soul is a sacrifice to You, and a heart that is full of sorrow for sins, You will not reject, God. Bless Zion, O God, and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem again. Then the burning of fires and the sacrifices of bulls on Your altar will be for Your good (Psalm 50:1-21).

At the beginning of his prayer, David is literally “broken.” He needs forgiveness for his sins before God. David acknowledges the full authority and rightness of God, as well as his own personal sinfulness. David is ready to accept any punishment, as long as God forgives his sins. David asks God for wisdom to avoid similar sins in the future. David wants to change everything and start life over again, with a clean slate!

This is true repentance for one’s sins. This is real “metanoia” - a change in thinking.