Anthony, Metropolitan of Sourozh, (1914-2003)
philosopher, preacher, author of numerous books and articles in different languages about spiritual life and Orthodox spirituality
“On Repentance” (duration 20 minutes)
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.
About the Divine Liturgy “On the incomprehensibility of the Sacrament of Communion” (duration 34 minutes)
“I will speak beyond the limits of my knowledge, for what we are talking about is incomprehensible... I would like us today to think about the Divine Liturgy, think about what it is, think about how we can to participate not only during the service itself - here we participate as much as we can, with heart and soul, but to participate in some other way, which people do not always and not often remember, but which could constitute a very deep and fundamental participation in it "
Repentance, confession (+VIDEO)
As part of the special project “Sacraments of the Church,” Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov talks about the essence and meaning of each of the seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Communion, the Sacrament of Marriage, the Sacrament of the Priesthood and Blessing of Anointing.
Today we will talk about the Sacrament of Repentance. Is it possible to be a Christian without repentance? What is the essence of confession? Who accepts confession and forgives confessed sins? And what should we answer to those who claim that they “will deal with their sins without a priest”?
It seems that not only priests, not only monks, but also Beltsi, that is, other pious Christians, can always, if they live piously, confirming their faith by striving to fulfill the commandments, be able to give an account of their confession. And the first word, of course, should be a testimony of Repentance. After all, as soon as Christ the Redeemer revealed himself to the world and entered into His public ministry, He spoke for all centuries, for all times, addressing all His rational creatures, all tribes and peoples without exception: “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” “Repent.” , for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” And the apostles, faithful to the covenant of their Teacher, proclaimed to all ends and corners of the earth, and the priesthood continues the apostolic preaching even now - in Eurasia, Australia, America, Antarctica, where His Holiness the Patriarch was recently, in the Russian and Far North - testifying that The Sacrament of Baptism is accepted with repentance, that is, a contrite confession of one’s infirmity, weakness, the disclosure of involuntary sins that we committed after joining the regiment of Orthodox Christians, out of ignorance, out of relaxation.
Repentance is an essential act of a Christian, and it literally fits into the small mustard seed of the publican’s prayer: “God, be merciful to me a sinner” - here is the abbreviated Gospel, here is the expression of repentance, which in its common form is known to us as the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
The essence of repentance is to recognize one’s weakness and sinfulness before the Lord, trusting in His mercy
What is the essence of repentance? It is that, day and night, as is characteristic of the angels and servants of God, the invisible Face of our Savior, always be aware of one’s infirmity, one’s weakness, one’s unworthiness, to confess all-sinfulness, at the same time completely trusting in the omnipotence, goodness and mercy of the Creator. He is holy and we are sinners. He is the sun of truth, in which there is not a single dark spot, and we are a clot of darkness: conceit, pride, self-will. However, in this darkness the light shines, and the darkness does not embrace it. Light is Divine grace, a spark that is given to us in Baptism. And in order for light to defeat darkness, for truth to supplant lies, for good within us to defeat evil, we need to strain all the fibers of the soul and cells of the body, rushing to the Creator with repentance - like a flower reaching for the source of earthly light. Thus, repentance is called not only that minute when, having entered under the arch of an Orthodox church, we wait for our turn, stand in front of the Cross and the Gospel, and the priest, dressed in a brace and stole, having read the appropriate prayers, like a doctor, calls us to reveal what we have done in the darkness , so that with the invisible touch of His healing right hand the Risen Jesus Christ, standing right here, would touch the inflamed bleeding wound of the heart and in the blink of an eye, in response to recognition, confession of bad thoughts, unclean feelings, deeds incompatible with the title of Christian, forgive, cleanse, sanctify, gave a Divine impulse, so that the spark of the Holy Spirit, communicated to us in the Sacrament of Baptism, turned into a flame of faith, hope and love.
Both before and after confession, a Christian is called to remain in repentance
I repeat: not only at the moment of confessing our sins and receiving forgiveness, we are called to carry out the commandment of Christ: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” But both before and after confession, a Christian is called to remain in repentance. Repentance is the air that fills the soul, it is the light that allows us to see the road ahead of us. Repentance is the desire to keep oneself from confessed sins, it is a fight against bad desires and passions that, no, no, but raise their snake heads in the depths of our heart. Repentance is the desire to contrast those vicious habits with which we are fighting today with good deeds, so that yesterday’s satiety turns into today’s abstinence, the day before yesterday’s lies give way to words of truth and truth, the fears of lack of faith, doubt and cowardice, having gone into oblivion, are replaced by the sprouts of courage , purposefulness, vigor, that life-giving energy of patience, without which, just like without labor, you cannot catch a fish from a pond.
Confession. Photo: Yuri Kaver
An essential link in this golden chain of penitential works is, of course, the confession of sin itself. And if Chekhov’s semi-intellectuals ask the priest with irony: “Why do I need Dad as a mediating authority? Isn't a personal relationship with the Creator enough for me? What else is the Sacrament of Confession for? What, Father himself is sinless, or what, so that I can forgive my sins?”, we, pastors, hearing similar questions from the after-school group, always smile in response: “Darling, you are absolutely right. And without any priest, whether you get up from sleep in the morning or go to bed after a hard day, remember your sins: pride, suspiciousness, resentment, irritability, unclean thoughts, the terrible habit of watching something on TV that does not fit in with the name homo sapiens. A reasonable man, repent of your sins. But remember, dear friend, that you will never be able to forgive yourself. You cannot, through the effort of your will, introduce childlike purity, the joy of being, into your heart, or pacify your heart - here an external injection is necessary through the authority of the priesthood that sanctifies us. Just like no one performs abdominal surgery on themselves, but sometimes they also require anesthesia, just so as not to witness their own blood. Thank God, confession is performed in a sound mind and clear memory - it has nothing to do with zombies or hypnosis. A person, approaching the Cross and the Gospel, sacredly believes that the Lord stands before him here with outstretched arms, and the Blood of our Savior, pouring out from His perforated rib and ulcers on his hands and feet, washes his blackened, burned conscience. The priest is only a participant, a witness of repentance, but the doctor who resurrects the soul and cleanses the body is Almighty God Himself in the flesh.” That is why it is necessary to confess, and the sooner the better. I hope that after our program, all the one and a half million viewers who have not been to confession for a hundred years will immediately come running to churches: time is short. Let us not tempt the long-suffering of the Creator.
The Lord does not need our confession - we need it
We must confess clearly and clearly, try to completely avoid self-justification, not refer to circumstances that excuse us, and not whitewash our sins. But - strike the serpent at the head: I have sinned, Lord! – you can turn not to the priest, but to Jesus Christ Himself before you. “I am sinful with gluttony, heartfelt lust, despondency and sadness, repetition of sins, spiritual and physical uncleanness, I repent of forgotten sins, but, Lord, help me to correct myself and live in the Orthodox way. I am weak and infirm, but I firmly and undoubtedly believe that You, my merciful Creator, will cleanse me, have mercy and save me.” The priest, if he is an attentive shepherd, will also help you with his questions to look deeper into the limits of your own soul, since the Lord Himself gives the priests the intelligence and strength to facilitate this neurosurgical action. We, priests, every time a confession is made with our participation, have to be surprised, amazed and even amazed at the mercy of God. Because a sad man approaches, as if crushed by sins, as if a hundred-pound basket is on his shoulders, and now, sincerely, with a contrite heart, he confesses, as soon as he gets up from his knees after accepting the prayer of permission and kisses the Cross and the Gospel as a sign of his determination to die, but arbitrarily do not commit mortal sins, the most gross and disgusting: theft, foul language, fornication, etc. and so on, - we are surprised at the metamorphosis that is taking place before our eyes: a clear brow, sparkles in the eyes, a bright smile, and most importantly - in the heart what the Russian poet says: “And you believe, and cry, and so easily - easily". Confession in this sense is the only true moral medicine for modern humanity. And we, priests, are not surprised that others who complain of suppressed feelings, of what is called depression, overwhelmed by bad, blasphemous, sad thoughts, sometimes suicidal excuses, that is, black thoughts, as soon as they open their hearts to the gaze of God - but the Lord does not needs our confession, we need it - how we immediately feel relief. Why? Because the devil, who is always close to a weak and sinful person, instantly runs away as soon as his dark and evil deeds are exposed.
Only through repentance will a Christian learn to humble himself before Almighty God. Only by bringing confession will he know what the mercy of the Lord is, expressed in the words: “I do not want the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and live.” There is no sin that can overcome the mercy of God. Therefore, dear friends, we are waiting for you to repent - this Great Lent, may the full-flowing river of God’s mercy touch and irrigate your thirsty souls, and we, God willing, will meet more than once or twice before the Last Judgment.
Hilarion, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk
Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church
“Man before God - the Sacrament of the Eucharist” (duration 25 minutes)
Our film is dedicated to the Divine Liturgy, during which the main sacrament of the Church, the Holy Eucharist, takes place. In this Sacrament, under the guise of bread and wine, we partake of the body and blood of Christ, uniting in a mysterious way incomprehensible to the mind with God himself. Who celebrated the first Eucharist, how bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, why priests and laity receive communion differently, how and why the Divine Liturgy is celebrated.
“Man before God - Confession, Prayer and Fasting” (duration 25 minutes)
Our film is dedicated to the sacrament of repentance - Confession. The program talks about why this sacrament was established, how to prepare for it, why a confessor is needed, and what the Church considers a sin. The topic of prayer will tell you how Orthodox Christians turn to God, what language they use when communicating with the Heavenly Father, and why they need to pray. In conclusion, the conversation will be about fasting as one of the means of awakening a repentant spirit in a person.
Vladimir, Bishop of Novokuznetsk and Tashtagol
host of the Blagovest program
Program “About Confession” (duration 5 minutes)
“Beautiful appearance can attract attention, but only the beauty of the soul can hold attention and win love. A person's task is to make his soul beautiful. For this, the Orthodox Church has many means. Including Confession. No matter how hard we try to lead a righteous life, we sin every minute, hundreds of sins attack us even if we sit motionless. There is no need to be ashamed of the priest. He won't judge. During his life, he heard hundreds of times all possible sins. If you are too lazy to go to the temple, then think that when you die and appear before the judgment of God and nothing can be corrected, how much you will regret that you had the opportunity to remove the burden from yourself, but you were too lazy.”
Program “About Communion” (duration 5 minutes)
“I categorically disagree with those confessors who impose excessive demands on people related to preparation for Communion, the main thing is that the preparation is not formal. We must free the soul from anger, resentment and hatred... Take communion more often and do not say that you are not worthy. Use Communion as an instrument of dignity, as a cure for sin.”
Prayers
The natural way to communicate with God is through prayer. Therefore, when preparing for communion, you need to devote more time to them than usual. What exactly should you read and when?
- 3 canons (Christ, Mother of God, Guardian Angel);
- Consequence (special prayers before communion);
- Morning and evening rule (as usual).
If you read everything on the day before the sacrament, it will seem like a very difficult test to an unprepared person. Not only do you need to attend the evening service, go to confession, but also devote 2-3 hours to prayers! Therefore, the canons can be distributed over several days. Then they prepare as follows - after the evening service, the rule, the sacramental canon, is read. The remaining prayers are postponed until the morning.
Will they be allowed to take communion if it is not possible to attend the service the night before? The priest must be informed about this; if a person has prepared (confessed, fasted, prayed), then usually this does not become an obstacle.
Communion in the church takes place at the end of the Liturgy, a morning service that occurs on Sundays and Saturdays. It can also take place on other days; you can usually read about this in the temple schedule, which hangs at the entrance. All questions regarding participation in the Sacrament of Communion should be asked to the priest without hesitation.
- How to be baptized correctly for Orthodox Christians
- How to properly hang icons in your home - read here
- How to bless water at home -
May the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ lead to the salvation of the soul and eternal life!
Archpriest Pavel Ostrovsky
“The Sacrament of Repentance. All about confession" (duration 59 minutes)
Everything a neophyte needs to know about the Sacrament of Repentance and more. What is Repentance and how does it differ from repentance? How to prepare for your first confession? What can and cannot be done in confession? How to choose a priest and church for confession and is it worth looking for a confessor? Why shouldn't you be afraid of confession? Why is it worth striving for Repentance? What is sin and how do you know that you are confessing correctly? Is it possible NOT to confess before Communion?
What should you repent of in confession?
In order not to feel awkward when attending the sacrament for the first time, you should know what to say in confession. It often happens that people try to formulate their actions only with their heads, forgetting that repentance must come from the heart. I encourage you not to worry too much about the accuracy of the wording, but to say everything as your soul feels. You can even express yourself tongue-tied, what's the difference? God hears and understands you.
Here are some recommendations:
- Never try to justify yourself to the priest, do not blame other people for your failures, troubles and sins. Recognize that you alone are responsible for them.
- Long stories with a lot of details are also not required. You can speak out in this way to your mother or friend, and simply list all your sins to the priest. Only facts - without assessments, explanations or justifications. There is no need to think about why everything is so.
- You can repent: of the seven deadly sins, the negative emotions that you show towards people, of offenses that could harm someone.
And remember: it doesn't matter whether you know the rules or not. The church will always give you advice and tell you, and help you if you forgot about something. Don't be afraid to look stupid and awkward, just be sincere and listen to your heart.
Documentary series “Faith of the Saints”
On the Fundamentals of the Doctrine of the Orthodox Church
Recommended for beginners
Broadcast About the Sacrament of Confession (duration 12 minutes)
What sins are forgiven in the sacrament of Confession? All those that we committed after Baptism, and for which we repented in the sacrament of Confession.
Broadcast About the Sacrament of Communion (duration 12 minutes)
Communion is a holy Sacrament in which Christians, under the guise of bread and wine, partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ... The spiritual aspiration of a believer who loves God is expressed in the desire to unite with Him, this happens in the Sacrament of Communion.
About Unction
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov about Unction (duration 5 minutes)
Archpriest Andrei Kanev in the film “The Sacrament of Unction and Preparation for It” on the SOYUZ channel (duration 25 minutes)
Archpriest Alexander Gavrilov, conversation in the “Inexhaustible Chalice” church on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg (duration 5 minutes)
Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov on Pravoslavie.ru (duration 13 minutes)
