We publish a complete list of sins to prepare for confession in the Orthodox Church.

Deadly sins.

1. She violated the rules of good behavior for those who pray in the holy temple.
2. She had dissatisfaction with her life and people.
3. She performed prayers without zeal and a low bow to the icons, she prayed lying down, sitting (without need, out of laziness).
4. She sought fame and praise in virtues and labors.
5. I was not always content with what I had: I wanted to have beautiful, varied clothes, furniture, delicious food.
6. Annoyed and offended when she received a refusal of her desires.
7. She did not abstain from her husband during pregnancy, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, on fasts, in uncleanness, by agreement, she was with her husband.
8. Sinned with disgust.
9. After committing a sin, she did not repent immediately, but kept it to herself for a long time.
10. She sinned with idle talk, dishonesty. I remembered the words spoken against me by others, I sang shameless worldly songs.
11. She complained about a bad road, about the length and tediousness of the service.
12. I used to save money for a rainy day, as well as for a funeral.
13. She was angry with her loved ones, scolded her children. She did not tolerate remarks from people, fair reproaches, she immediately fought back.
14. She sinned with vanity, asking for praise, saying “you cannot praise yourself, no one will praise you.”
15. The deceased was commemorated with alcohol; on a fast day, the memorial table was modest.
16. Didn't have a firm determination to give up sin.
17. Doubted the honesty of others.
18. Missed chances to do good.
19. She suffered from pride, did not condemn herself, was not always the first to ask for forgiveness.
20. Allowed spoilage of products.
21. She did not always reverently keep the shrine (artos, water, prosphora spoiled).
22. I sinned for the purpose of “repenting.”
23. She objected, justifying herself, became irritated at the dullness, stupidity and ignorance of others, made reprimands and remarks, contradicted, divulged sins and weaknesses.
24. Attributed sins and weaknesses to others.
25. She succumbed to rage: scolded loved ones, insulted her husband and children.
26. Made others angry, irritable, indignant.
27. She sinned by condemning her neighbor, blackened his good name.
28. Sometimes she was despondent, carried her cross with a murmur.
29. Intervened in other people's conversations, interrupted the speaker's speech.
30. She sinned with quarrelsomeness, compared herself with others, complained and became angry at the offenders.
31. She thanked people, she did not extend her eyes of gratitude to God.
32. Fell asleep with sinful thoughts and dreams.
33. I noticed bad words and deeds of people.
34. Drank and ate food that was harmful to health.
35. She was embarrassed by the spirit of slander, considered herself better than others.
36. She sinned by indulgence and indulgence in sins, self-complacency, self-indulgence, disrespect for old age, untimely eating, intransigence, inattention to requests.
37. I missed the opportunity to sow the word of God, to bring benefits.
38. She sinned with gluttony, larynx: she loved to eat too much, savor tidbits, and enjoyed drunkenness.
39. She was distracted from prayer, distracted others, emitted bad air in the temple, went out when necessary, without saying it at confession, hastily prepared for confession.
40. She sinned with laziness, idleness, exploited the labor of others, speculated in things, sold icons, did not go to church on Sundays and holidays, was lazy to pray.
41. Hardened towards the poor, did not accept strangers, did not give to the poor, did not clothe the naked.
42. Trusted in man more than in God.
43. Was visiting drunk.
44. I did not send gifts to those who offended me.
45. Was upset at a loss.
46. ​​I fell asleep during the day without need.
47. I was burdened by regrets.
48. I did not protect myself from colds, I was not treated by doctors.
49. Deceived in a word.
50. Exploited someone else's labor.
51. I was despondent in sorrows.
52. She was hypocritical, pleasing to people.
53. Wished evil, was cowardly.
54. Was inventive for evil.
55. Was rude, not condescending to others.
56. I did not force myself to do good deeds, to pray.
57. Angered the authorities at rallies.
58. Reduced prayers, skipped, rearranged words.
59. Envy others, wished for honor.
60. She sinned with pride, vanity, self-love.
61. I watched dances, dances, various games and spectacles.
62. She sinned with idle ranting, secret eating, petrification, insensitivity, neglect, disobedience, intemperance, stinginess, condemnation, greed, reproach.
63. Spent the holidays in booze and earthly amusements.
64. She sinned with sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, inaccurate observance of fasts, unworthy communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord.
65. She got drunk, laughed at someone else's sin.
66. She sinned with lack of faith, infidelity, treason, deceit, lawlessness, groaning over sin, doubt, freethinking.
67. She was inconstant in good deeds, did not take pleasure in reading the holy Gospel.
68. Made up excuses for my sins.
69. She sinned with disobedience, arbitrariness, unfriendliness, malice, disobedience, insolence, contempt, ingratitude, severity, snitching, oppression.
70. She did not always conscientiously fulfill her official duties, was careless in her affairs and hastily.
71. She believed in signs and various superstitions.
72. Was an instigator of evil.
73. Went to weddings without a church wedding.
74. I sinned with spiritual insensitivity: hope for myself, for magic, for divination.
75. Did not keep these vows.
76. Hiding sins at confession.
77. Tried to learn other people's secrets, read other people's letters, eavesdropped on telephone conversations.
78. In great sorrow she wished for herself death.
79. Wore immodest clothes.
80. Talked during the meal.
81. I drank and ate what was said, “charged” by Chumak water.
82. Worked through strength.
83. I forgot about my Guardian Angel.
84. She sinned with laziness to pray for her neighbors, she did not always pray when asked about it.
85. I was ashamed to cross myself among unbelievers, took off the cross, going to the bathhouse and to the doctor.
86. She did not keep the vows given at Holy Baptism, did not preserve the purity of her soul.
87. She noticed the sins and weaknesses of others, divulged and reinterpreted them for the worse. She swore, swore by her head, by her life. Called people "devil", "Satan", "demon".
88. She called the dumb cattle the names of saints: Vaska, Masha.
89. She did not always pray before eating food, sometimes she had breakfast in the morning before the celebration of the Divine Service.
90. Being previously an unbeliever, she tempted her neighbors into unbelief.
91. She set a bad example with her life.
92. I was lazy to work, shifting my work onto the shoulders of others.
93. She did not always treat the word of God with care: she drank tea and read the Holy Gospel (which is irreverence).
94. Took Epiphany water after eating (without need).
95. I tore lilacs at the cemetery and brought them home.
96. She did not always keep the days of communion, she forgot to read thanksgiving prayers. I ate these days, slept a lot.
97. She sinned with idleness, late arrival to the temple and early departure from it, rare going to the temple.
98. Neglected menial work when it was in dire need.
99. She sinned with indifference, was silent when someone blasphemed.
100. She did not exactly observe fast days, during fasts she was fed up with fast food, she tempted others to eat delicious and inaccurate according to the charter: hot loaf, vegetable oil, seasoning.
101. She was fond of negligence, relaxation, carelessness, trying on clothes and jewelry.
102. She reproached the priests, employees, spoke about their shortcomings.
103. Gave advice on abortion.
104. Violated someone else's dream through negligence and insolence.
105. Read love letters, copied, memorized passionate poems, listened to music, songs, watched shameless movies.
106. She sinned with immodest glances, looked at someone else's nakedness, wore immodest clothes.
107. I was tempted in a dream and passionately remembered it.
108. I suspected in vain (slandered in my heart).
109. She recounted empty, superstitious tales and fables, praised herself, did not always tolerate the revealing truth and offenders.
110. Showed curiosity to other people's letters and papers.
111. She idly inquired about the weaknesses of her neighbor.
112. Not freed from the passion to tell or ask about the news.
113. I read prayers and akathists copied with errors.
114. I considered myself better and more worthy than others.
115. I do not always light lamps and candles in front of icons.
116. Violated the secrecy of her own and someone else's confession.
117. Participated in bad deeds, persuaded to a bad deed.
118. Stubborn against good, did not listen to good advice. Boasted beautiful clothes.
119. I wanted everything to be my way, I was looking for the perpetrators of my sorrows.
120. After praying, she had evil thoughts.
121. Spent money on music, cinema, circus, sinful books and other amusements, lent money for obviously bad deeds.
122. Plotted in thoughts, inspired by the enemy, against the holy faith and the Holy Church.
123. Violated the peace of mind of the sick, looked at them as sinners, and not as a test of their faith and virtue.
124. Yielded to untruth.
125. I ate and went to bed without praying.
126. Ate until mass on Sundays and holidays.
127. She spoiled the water when she bathed in the river from which they drink.
128. She talked about her exploits, labors, boasted of her virtues.
129. With pleasure I used fragrant soap, cream, powder, dyed my eyebrows, nails and eyelashes.
130. Sinned with hope “God will forgive”.
131. I hoped for my strength, abilities, and not for the help and mercy of God.
132. She worked on holidays and weekends, from work on these days she did not give money to the poor and the poor.
133. I visited a healer, went to a fortune-teller, was treated with “biocurrents”, sat at sessions of psychics.
134. She sowed enmity and discord among people, she herself offended others.
135. Sold vodka and moonshine, speculated, drove moonshine (was present at the same time) and took part.
136. Suffered from gluttony, even got up to eat and drink at night.
137. She drew a cross on the ground.
138. I read atheistic books, magazines, “tracts about love”, looked at pornographic pictures, maps, half-naked images.
139. Distorted Holy Scripture (mistakes in reading, singing).
140. She was exalted with pride, she sought primacy and supremacy.
141. In anger, she mentioned evil spirits, invoked a demon.
142. Was engaged in dancing and playing on holidays and Sundays.
143. In uncleanness she entered the temple, ate prosphora, antidor.
144. In anger, I scolded and cursed those who offended me: so that no bottom, no tire, etc.
145. Spent money on amusements (attractions, carousels, all sorts of spectacles).
146. She took offense at her spiritual father, grumbled at him.
147. Disdain to kiss icons, take care of the sick, old people.
148. She teased deaf-mutes, weak-minded, minors, angered animals, repaid evil for evil.
149. Tempted people, wore translucent clothes, miniskirts.
150. She swore, was baptized, saying: “I’ll fail in this place,” etc.
151. Retelling ugly stories (sinful in their essence) from the life of her parents and neighbors.
152. Had a spirit of jealousy for a friend, sister, brother, friend.
153. She sinned with quarrelsomeness, self-will, lamenting that there is no health, strength, strength in the body.
154. Envy rich people, the beauty of people, their intelligence, education, prosperity, goodwill.
155. She did not keep her prayers and good deeds secret, she did not keep church secrets.
156. She justified her sins by illness, infirmity, bodily weakness.
157. She condemned other people's sins and shortcomings, compared people, gave them characteristics, judged them.
158. Revealed other people's sins, mocked them, ridiculed people.
159. Deliberately deceived, told a lie.
160. Hastily read the holy books, when the mind and heart did not assimilate what they read.
161. She left prayer because of fatigue, justifying herself with infirmity.
162. She rarely wept that I was living unrighteously, forgot about humility, self-reproach, about salvation, and about the terrible judgment.
163. In life, she did not betray herself to the will of God.
164. Ruined her spiritual home, mocked people, discussed the fall of others.
165. She herself was an instrument of the devil.
166. She did not always cut off her will before the elder.
167. I spent a lot of time on empty letters, and not on spiritual ones.
168. Didn't have a sense of the fear of God.
169. Was angry, shook her fist, cursed.
170. Read more than pray.
171. Yielded to persuasion, temptation to sin.
172. Powerfully ordered.
173. She slandered others, forced others to swear.
174. Turned her face away from those who asked.
175. She violated the peace of mind of her neighbor, had a sinful mood of spirit.
176. She did good without thinking about God.
177. Was conceited with a place, title, position.
178. The bus did not give way to the elderly, passengers with children.
179. When buying, she bargained, fell into curiosity.
180. She did not always accept the words of the elders and confessors with faith.
181. Watched with curiosity, asked about worldly things.
182. Unlived flesh with a shower, bath, bath.
183. Traveled aimlessly, for the sake of boredom.
184. When the visitors left, she did not try to free herself from sinfulness by prayer, but remained in it.
185. She allowed herself privileges in prayer, pleasures in worldly pleasures.
186. She pleased others for the sake of the flesh and the enemy, and not for the benefit of the spirit and salvation.
187. She sinned with a non-soul-beneficial attachment to friends.
188. Was proud of herself when doing a good deed. I did not humiliate myself, I did not reproach myself.
189. She did not always feel sorry for sinful people, but scolded and reproached them.
190. Was dissatisfied with her life, scolded her and said: "When only death will take me."
191. There were times when she called annoyingly, knocked loudly to open.
192. While reading, I didn't think about the Holy Scripture.
193. She did not always have cordiality towards visitors and the memory of God.
194. She did things out of passion and worked without need.
195. Often kindled by empty dreams.
196. She sinned with malice, did not remain silent in anger, did not move away from the one who provoked anger.
197. In illness, she often used food not for satisfaction, but for pleasure and enjoyment.
198. Coldly received mentally useful visitors.
199. I grieved for the one who offended me. And grieved at me when I offended.
200. At prayer, she did not always have repentant feelings, humble thoughts.
201. Insulted her husband, who avoided intimacy on the wrong day.
202. In anger she encroached on the life of her neighbor.
203. I have sinned and am sinning fornication: I was with my husband not to conceive children, but out of lust. In the absence of her husband, she defiled herself with masturbation.
204. At work, she experienced persecution for the truth and grieved about it.
205. Laughed at the mistakes of others and made comments out loud.
206. She wore women's whims: beautiful umbrellas, magnificent clothes, other people's hair (wigs, hairpieces, braids).
207. She was afraid of sufferings, endured them reluctantly.
208. She often opened her mouth to show off her gold teeth, wore gold-rimmed glasses, an abundance of rings and gold jewelry.
209. Asked for advice from people who do not have a spiritual mind.
210. Before reading the word of God, she did not always call on the grace of the Holy Spirit, she took care to only read more.
211. Transferred the gift of God to the womb, voluptuousness, idleness and sleep. Did not work, having talent.
212. I was too lazy to write and rewrite spiritual instructions.
213. Dyed her hair and rejuvenated, visited beauty salons.
214. When giving alms, she did not combine it with the correction of her heart.
215. She did not evade flatterers, and did not stop them.
216. She had a predilection for clothes: care, as it were, not to get dirty, not to get dusty, not to get wet.
217. She did not always wish her enemies salvation and did not care about it.
218. At prayer she was a "slave of necessity and duty."
219. After fasting, she leaned on fast food, ate to the point of heaviness in the stomach and often without time.
220. She rarely prayed at night. She sniffed tobacco and dabbled in smoking.
221. She did not avoid spiritual temptations. Had a soulful date. Fell in spirit.
222. On the road, she forgot about prayer.
223. Intervened with instructions.
224. Didn't sympathize with the sick and mourners.
225. Didn't always lend.
226. Feared sorcerers more than God.
227. She spared herself for the good of others.
228. Dirty and spoiled sacred books.
229. She spoke before the morning and after the evening prayer.
230. She brought glasses to the guests against their will, treated them beyond measure.
231. She did the works of God without love and diligence.
232. Often did not see her sins, rarely condemned herself.
233. She amused herself with her face, looking in the mirror, making grimaces.
234. She spoke about God without humility and caution.
235. Weary of service, waiting for the end, hurrying to the exit as soon as possible in order to calm down and take care of worldly affairs.
236. Rarely did self-tests, in the evening I did not read the prayer “I confess to you ...”
237. Rarely thought about what she heard in the temple and read in Scripture.
238. She did not look for traits of kindness in an evil person and did not talk about his good deeds.
239. Often did not see her sins and rarely condemned herself.
240. I took contraceptives. She demanded protection from her husband, interruption of the act.
241. Praying for health and repose, she often went over names without the participation and love of her heart.
242. She uttered everything when it would be better to remain silent.
243. In a conversation, she used artistic techniques. She spoke in an unnatural voice.
244. She was offended by inattention and neglect of herself, was inattentive to others.
245. She did not abstain from excesses and pleasures.
246. She wore other people's clothes without permission, spoiled other people's things. In the room she blew her nose on the floor.
247. I was looking for benefits and benefits for myself, and not for my neighbor.
248. Forced a person to sin: to lie, steal, peep.
249. To inform and retell.
250. I found pleasure in sinful dates.
251. Visited places of wickedness, debauchery and godlessness.
252. She turned her ear to hear evil.
253. She attributed her successes to herself, and not to God's help.
254. While studying the spiritual life, she did not fulfill it in deeds.
255. In vain she disturbed people, did not calm the angry and sad.
256. Often washed clothes, wasted time without need.
257. Sometimes she fell into danger: ran across the road in front of transport, crossed the river along thin ice etc.
258. She towered over others, showing her superiority and wisdom of mind. She allowed herself to humiliate another, mocking the shortcomings of the soul and body.
259. Postponed the deeds of God, mercy and prayer for later.
260. She did not mourn herself when she did a bad deed. With pleasure she listened to slanderous speeches, blasphemed life and the treatment of others.
261. Didn't use surplus income for spiritually useful things.
262. She did not save from the days of fasting in order to give to the sick, the needy, and children.
263. Worked reluctantly, grumbling and vexed because of the small pay.
264. She was the cause of sin in family discord.
265. Without gratitude and self-reproach she endured sorrows.
266. She didn't always go into seclusion in order to be alone with God.
267. She lay and basked in bed for a long time, did not immediately get up to pray.
268. She lost self-control while defending the offended, kept hostility and evil in her heart.
269. Didn't stop talking gossip. She herself often passed on to others and with an increase from herself.
270. Before the morning prayer and during the prayer rule, she did household chores.
271. She autocratically presented her thoughts as the true rule of life.
272. Ate stolen food.
273. She did not confess the Lord with her mind, heart, word, deed. Had an alliance with the wicked.
274. At the meal she was too lazy to treat and serve her neighbor.
275. She was sad about the deceased, that she herself was ill.
276. I was glad that the holiday had come and I didn’t have to work.
277. I drank wine on holidays. Loved going to dinner parties. I got fed up there.
278. She listened to teachers when they said something harmful to the soul, against God.
279. Used perfumes, smoked Indian incense.
280. Engaged in lesbianism, with lust touched someone else's body. With lust and voluptuousness she watched the mating of animals.
281. Cared beyond measure for the nourishment of the body. Accepted gifts or alms at a time when it was not necessary to accept it.
282. Didn't try to be away from a person who likes to chat.
283. Didn't get baptized, didn't read prayers at church bell ringing.
284. Under the guidance of her spiritual father, she did everything according to her own will.
285. She was naked when bathing, sunbathing, exercising, in case of illness she was shown to a male doctor.
286. She did not always recall and count her violations of the Law of God with repentance.
287. While reading prayers and canons, she was too lazy to bow.
288. When she heard that a person was ill, she did not rush to help.
289. With thought and word she exalted herself in the good done.
290. Believed in slander. She didn't punish herself for her sins.
291. During the service in the church she read her house rule or wrote a commemorative book.
292. She did not abstain from her favorite foods (although fasting ones).
293. Unfairly punished and lectured children.
294. Didn't have a daily memory of God's Judgment, death, the Kingdom of God.
295. In times of sorrow, she did not occupy her mind and heart with the prayer of Christ.
296. She did not force herself to pray, to read the Word of God, to weep over her sins.
297. Rarely performed commemoration of the dead, did not pray for the departed.
298. With unconfessed sin she approached the Chalice.
299. In the morning I did gymnastics, and did not dedicate my first thought to God.
300. When praying, I was too lazy to cross myself, sorted out my bad thoughts, did not think about what awaits me beyond the grave.
301. She was in a hurry to pray, out of laziness she shortened it and read without proper attention.
302. She told her neighbors and acquaintances about her grievances. I visited places where bad examples were set.
303. Admonished a man without meekness and love. Irritated when correcting my neighbor.
304. She did not always light a lamp on holidays and Sundays.
305. On Sundays, I didn’t go to the temple, but for mushrooms, berries ...
306. Had more savings than necessary.
307. She spared her strength and health in order to serve her neighbor.
308. She reproached her neighbor for what had happened.
309. Walking on the way to the temple, I did not always read prayers.
310. Assented when condemning a person.
311. She was jealous of her husband, remembered her rival with malice, wished for her death, used a healer's slander to torment her.
312. I used to be demanding and disrespectful to people. Gained the upper hand in conversations with neighbors. On the way to the temple, she overtook older than me, did not wait for those who lagged behind me.
313. She turned her abilities to earthly goods.
314. Had jealousy for the spiritual father.
315. I tried to be always right.
316. Asked unnecessary things.
317. Wept for the temporary.
318. Interpreted dreams and took them seriously.
319. Boasted of sin, committed evil.
320. After communion, she was not guarded from sin.
321. Kept atheistic books and playing cards in the house.
322. She gave advice, not knowing whether they were pleasing to God, she was negligent in the affairs of God.
323. She accepted prosphora, holy water without reverence (she spilled holy water, spilled crumbs of prosphora).
324. I went to bed and got up without prayer.
325. She spoiled her children, not paying attention to their bad deeds.
326. During fasting she was engaged in larynx, she liked to drink strong tea, coffee, and other drinks.
327. I took tickets, food from the back door, went on the bus without a ticket.
328. She placed prayer and the temple above serving her neighbor.
329. Endured sorrows with despondency and grumbling.
330. Irritated in fatigue and illness.
331. Had free treatment of persons of the opposite sex.
332. At the recollection of worldly affairs, she gave up prayer.
333. Forced to eat and drink the sick and children.
334. Contemptuously treated vicious people, did not seek their conversion.
335. She knew and gave money for a bad deed.
336. She entered the house without invitation, peeped through the crack, through the window, through the keyhole, eavesdropped at the door.
337. Entrusted secrets to strangers.
338. Used food without need and hunger.
339. I read prayers with errors, got lost, skipped, put stress incorrectly.
340. Lived lustfully with her husband. She allowed perversions and carnal pleasures.
341. She gave loans and asked for debts back.
342. She tried to learn more about divine things than was revealed by God.
343. Sinned with body movement, gait, gesture.
344. She set herself as an example, boasted, boasted.
345. She spoke passionately about earthly things, delighted in the remembrance of sin.
346. Went to the temple and back with empty talk.
347. I insured my life and property, I wanted to cash in on insurance.
348. Was greedy for pleasure, unchaste.
349. She passed on her conversations with the elder and her temptations to others.
350. She was a donor not out of love for her neighbor, but for the sake of drinking, free days, for money.
351. Boldly and willfully plunged herself into sorrows and temptations.
352. I was bored, I dreamed about traveling and entertainment.
353. Made wrong decisions in anger.
354. Was distracted by thoughts during prayer.
355. Traveled south for carnal pleasures.
356. Used the time of prayer for worldly affairs.
357. She distorted words, distorted the thoughts of others, expressed her displeasure aloud.
358. I was ashamed to confess before my neighbors that I was a believer, and I visit the temple of God.
359. She slandered, demanded justice in higher instances, wrote complaints.
360. She denounced those who do not attend the temple and do not repent.
361. I bought lottery tickets with the hope of getting rich.
362. She gave alms and rudely slandered the one who asked.
363. She listened to the advice of egoists who were themselves slaves of their womb and carnal passions.
364. Engaged in self-aggrandizement, proudly expected a greeting from her neighbor.
365. I was weary of fasting and looked forward to its end.
366. She could not bear the stench from people without disgust.
367. She denounced people in anger, forgetting that we are all sinners.
368. She lay down to sleep, did not remember the affairs of the day and did not shed tears about her sins.
369. She did not keep the Rule of the Church and the traditions of the holy fathers.
370. She paid for help with household chores with vodka, tempted people with drunkenness.
371. In fasting she made tricks in food.
372. Distracted from prayer when bitten by mosquitoes, flies and other insects.
373. At the sight of human ingratitude, she refrained from doing good deeds.
374. She shied away from dirty work: clean the toilet, pick up the trash.
375. During the period of breastfeeding, she did not abstain from married life.
376. In church she stood with her back to the altar and the holy icons.
377. Cooked sophisticated dishes, tempted with guttural insanity.
378. I read entertaining books with pleasure, but not the Scriptures of the Holy Fathers.
379. I watched TV, spent whole days at the “box”, and not in prayers in front of the icons.
380. Listened to passionate secular music.
381. She sought consolation in friendship, yearned for carnal pleasures, loved kissing men and women on the lips.
382. Engaged in extortion and deceit, judged and discussed people.
383. While fasting, she felt disgusted with monotonous, lenten food.
384. The Word of God spoke to unworthy people (not “cast pearls before swine”).
385. She neglected the holy icons, did not wipe them from dust in time.
386. I was too lazy to write congratulations on church holidays.
387. Spent time in mundane games and entertainments: checkers, backgammon, loto, cards, chess, rolling pins, ruffles, Rubik's cube and others.
388. Spoke illnesses, gave advice to go to fortune-tellers, gave addresses of sorcerers.
389. She believed signs and slanders: she spat through left shoulder, a black cat ran, a spoon, fork, etc. fell.
390. She responded sharply to an angry person to his anger.
391. Tried to prove the justification and justice of her anger.
392. Was annoying, interrupted people's sleep, distracted them from the meal.
393. Relaxed by social conversations with young people of the opposite sex.
394. Engaged in idle talk, curiosity, hung out on fires and was present at accidents.
395. She considered it unnecessary to be treated for illnesses and visit a doctor.
396. I tried to calm myself by hasty execution of the rule.
397. Excessively troubled herself with work.
398. I ate a lot in the meat-fare week.
399. Gave wrong advice to neighbors.
400. She told shameful anecdotes.
401. To please the authorities, she closed the holy icons.
402. She neglected a man in his old age and poverty of his mind.
403. She stretched out her hands to her naked body, looked and touched secret uds with her hands.
404. She punished children with anger, in a fit of passion, with scolding and cursing.
405. Taught children to peep, eavesdrop, pimp.
406. She spoiled her children, did not pay attention to their bad deeds.
407. Had a satanic fear for the body, was afraid of wrinkles, gray hair.
408. Burdened others with requests.
409. She drew conclusions about the sinfulness of people according to their misfortunes.
410. Wrote insulting and anonymous letters, spoke rudely, interfered with people on the phone, making jokes under an assumed name.
411. Sit on the bed without the permission of the owner.
412. In prayer, she imagined the Lord.
413. Satanic laughter attacked when reading and listening to the Divine.
414. She asked advice from people who were ignorant of the matter, she believed crafty people.
415. Strived for superiority, rivalry, won interviews, participated in competitions.
416. She treated the Gospel as a divinatory book.
417. Picked berries, flowers, branches in other people's gardens without permission.
418. During the fast, she did not have a good disposition towards people, she allowed violations of the fast.
419. She did not always realize and regret the sin.
420. Listened to worldly records, sinned by watching video and porn movies, relaxed in other worldly pleasures.
421. She read a prayer, having enmity against her neighbor.
422. She prayed in a hat, with her head uncovered.
423. Believed in omens.
424. Used indiscriminately the papers on which the name of God was written.
425. She was proud of her literacy and erudition, imagined, singled out people with higher education.
426. Assigned found money.
427. In the church, I put bags and things on the windows.
428. Ride for pleasure in a car, motorboat, bicycle.
429. Repeated other people's bad words, listened to people cursing obscenities.
430. I read newspapers, books, secular magazines with enthusiasm.
431. She abhorred the poor, the poor, the sick, who smelled bad.
432. Was proud that she did not commit shameful sins, grievous murder, abortions, etc.
433. She ate and drank before the onset of the fasts.
434. Acquired unnecessary things without having to do so.
435. After a prodigal dream, she did not always read prayers for defilement.
436. Celebrated New Year, wearing masks and obscene clothes, drunk, swearing, overeating and sinning.
437. She caused damage to her neighbor, spoiled and broke other people's things.
438. She believed the nameless "prophets", in "holy letters", "the dream of the Mother of God", she copied them herself and passed them on to others.
439. She listened to sermons in church with a spirit of criticism and condemnation.
440. She used her earnings for sinful lusts and amusements.
441. She spread bad rumors about priests and monks.
442. Huddled in the temple, hurrying to kiss the icon, the Gospel, the cross.
443. She was proud, in want and poverty she was indignant and murmured against the Lord.
444. Pee in public and even joke about it.
445. She did not always repay what she borrowed on time.
446. Belittled her sins at confession.
447. She gloated at the misfortune of her neighbor.
448. Instructed others in an instructive, imperative tone.
449. She shared their vices with people and affirmed them in these vices.
450. Quarreled with people for a place in the temple, at the icons, near the eve table.
451. Inadvertently caused pain to animals.
452. Left a glass of vodka on the grave of relatives.
453. She did not sufficiently prepare herself for the sacrament of confession.
454. She violated the holiness of Sundays and holidays with games, visits to spectacles, etc.
455. When crops were damaged, she swore at the cattle with dirty words.
456. Arranged dates in cemeteries, in childhood they ran and played hide and seek there.
457. Allowed sexual intercourse before marriage.
458. She deliberately got drunk in order to decide on a sin, along with wine she used medicines in order to get more drunk.
459. Begged for alcohol, pawned things and documents for this.
460. To draw attention to herself, to make her worry, she tried to commit suicide.
461. In childhood, she did not listen to teachers, prepared lessons poorly, was lazy, disrupted classes.
462. Visited cafes, restaurants arranged in temples.
463. She sang in a restaurant, on the stage, danced in a variety show.
464. In crowded transport, she felt pleasure from touches, did not try to avoid them.
465. She was offended by her parents for punishment, remembered these insults for a long time and told others about them.
466. Comforted herself with the fact that worldly cares prevent her from doing the deeds of faith, salvation and piety, she justified herself by the fact that in her youth no one taught Christian faith.
467. Wasted time on useless chores, fuss, talk.
468. Engaged in the interpretation of dreams.
469. With impatience she objected, fought, scolded.
470. She sinned with thefts, in childhood she stole eggs, handed them over to the store, etc.
471. She was vain, proud, did not honor her parents, did not obey the authorities.
472. Engaged in heresy, had an incorrect opinion about the subject of faith, doubt and even apostasy from the Orthodox faith.
473. She had the sin of Sodom (copulation with animals, with the wicked, entered into an incestuous relationship).

Be afraid to sin. It's even hotter in hell!

Only in the Sacrament of Penance, when a person with a contrite heart names sins to a priest and a permissive prayer is read over the penitent, then only then does God forgive sins!

The one who hides sin from the priest in the Sacrament of Repentance, he will acquire even more sin before God!

It's no secret that none of us can, unfortunately, call ourselves a completely sinless person. All of us from time to time are faced with various vices that have a certain effect on us. It became very interesting for me to find out what are the main human vices and how to get rid of their negative impact. Therefore, in this article, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the list of sins for confession.

Confession is a real spiritual test. Initially, it provokes the desire to repent, to confess verbally in their bad deeds.

After all, when people cease to adhere to the commandments of God, the inevitable destruction of their spiritual and physical bodies occurs. And through repentance, they gain the opportunity to purify themselves.

Confession promotes reconciliation between the individual and God. The healing of the soul is observed and the person receives an additional portion of strength to overcome his sins. In the process of this sacrament, a person frankly talks about his bad deeds and seeks forgiveness.

However, if the parishioner is very worried the day before, he may forget about what he wants to repent of. And here the list of sins for confession in Orthodoxy comes to the rescue. It is compiled in advance and is a kind of hint, reminder. The list of sins at confession can be read out in full or used as a plan.

In this case, the most important condition will be the maximum sincerity and truthfulness of the individual.

But in order for the sacrament of confession to be effective, it is important to have full contact of feelings with words, because simply mechanical reading of one's sins does not yet mean real healing from them. Feelings without words are just as ineffective as words without feelings.

What is the list of sins for confession? This is an extensive list that includes all obscene words or deeds. It is based on the seven deadly sins and the ten commandments.

IN human life now there is too much variety, so she is rarely righteous. This means that confession is an opportunity to sincerely repent of your sins and strive to prevent them in the future.

The Proper Process of Preparing for Confession

Prepare for the ritual should be in advance. You can write down a list of your bad deeds on a piece of paper and take it with you. Also, it would not be superfluous to read special literature concerning the sacrament of confession and communion. At the same time, do not try to justify your sins, just be aware that they are wicked.

The ideal option is to give an analysis to each of your days, establishing which are bad and which good action you have committed. Through this healthy habit, you will begin to pay more attention to your thoughts, words, and actions.

Even before you go to confession, make peace with all the people you offended, and also sincerely forgive all your offenders.

There is a difference between personal repentance (when an individual mentally repents of committed deeds) and the sacrament of confession (when a person talks about his unseemly misdeeds and seeks to cleanse himself of them). Telling an outsider about your unseemly actions already means making moral efforts in order, firstly, to realize the depth of your misconduct, and secondly, to cope with inner shame.

If you encounter some difficulties in compiling a list of falls, then the publication "The Complete Confession" can help you. It is offered now by every church shop, it reveals in detail all types of sins for confession and the features of the ritual. The book is also supplemented with examples and materials to help prepare yourself for the ceremony.

What are the rules for confession?

Do you suffer from a stone in your soul, do you want to speak out to someone and find forgiveness? Confession greatly facilitates the moral state. She acts as an open, most sincere confession and repentance of her sins.

Confession is allowed up to three times a week. The desire to eliminate your sins helps to cope with stiffness and awkwardness. The less often a person goes to confession, the more difficult it is for him to resurrect in his memory all the bad deeds he has committed. The most important rule is that the priest understand the true meaning of the sin in order to assign an adequate punishment.

In especially difficult situations, penance is imposed. Penance is a punishment, excommunication from the sacred sacraments and the grace of God. How long it will last in time is decided by the priest.

As a rule, punishment is understood as the observance of moral and corrective works - for example, fasting, reciting prayers, canons and akathist. In some cases, the list of punishments may vary.

If a person becomes seriously ill or dies, then the holy father is invited directly to the house for confession.

Overview of the sacrament of confession

Arriving at the temple, get in line to confess. During the ritual, on the lectern there is a cross with the Gospel - symbols of the constant presence of Christ. Before the ceremony, the clergyman may ask how often you pray, do you adhere to the basic church rules and ask similar questions.

After that, the process of the sacrament itself begins. If a person repeats the sins that were forgiven him at the last confession, it is imperative to stipulate this moment, in such a case the offense will be more severe.

In confession, do not seek to hide any information or speak with the help of hints. Speak in understandable terms so that it is clear what exactly you repent of.

At the end, the priest breaks the list of sins for confession - this means that it is completed and you have been forgiven for your sins. Also, at the end, an epitrachelion is superimposed on the head - a symbol of the mercy of God. Then you need to kiss the cross with the Gospel, which will be a manifestation of the desire to adhere to the basic commandments.

Proper Preparation for Confession

The rite of confession is designed to enable a person to comprehend his sins and correct them. If you are far from the church life, then it may be difficult for you to understand which of the actions to classify as ungodly. For this purpose, ten commandments were invented, clearly prescribing what should not be done categorically.

In the case when a person goes to confession for the first time, it can be problematic for him to sort out the seven main sins and commandments on his own. Then it is better to visit the priest first, talking with him personally and sharing your difficulties with him. Thanks to this, you will greatly facilitate the process of preparing for the sacrament of confession.

We have dealt with the rules for preparing for the sacrament of the church, and now we will study the list of sinful actions.

Sins committed against the Lord

• distrust of God, doubt in his power, lack of gratitude;
• refusal to wear a pectoral cross and protect one's faith;
• taking oaths in the name of the Lord in vain;
• sectarianism, magic, the practice of false teachings;
• craving for gambling;
• desire to commit suicide, foul language;
• unwillingness to attend church or read prayers daily;
• refusal to observe fasting, the study of Orthodox literature;
• bad attitude towards the holy fathers;
• thoughts about worldly things during worship;
• loss of your precious time for idleness, lack of action;
• a state of despair when difficulties occur in life. More hope for yourself or outside help, without faith in divine mercy;
• hiding their sins in the process of confession.

Sins committed against loved ones

• states of aggressiveness, anger, arrogance, pride and vanity;
• hiding the truth, refusing to help others, ridiculing other people;
• greed or extravagance;
• raising children without faith;
• unwillingness to repay debts, pay for someone else's work, help those who ask and need it;
• refusal to help their parents, showing disrespect towards them;
• theft, slander, envy;
• conflicts;
• verbal killings (conviction, driving to suicide or pathology);
• abortion or their propaganda.

Sins committed against oneself

• foul language;
• excessive self-love, idleness, breeding gossip;
• the desire to profit, enrich;
• excessive demonstration of their good actions;
• states of envy, lies, alcoholism, gluttony, drug addiction;
• states of fornication, adultery, incest and masturbation.

Complete list of sins for confession for women

It acts as a rather delicate list, and most of the women refuse to continue confession when they study it.

It should be noted that many of the fears and prejudices of the fair sex are completely unfounded. Priests are forbidden to share the secret of confession with anyone else.

Also, for your greater psychological comfort, it would be better if you find yourself one permanent confessor.

You also need to remember that the church never involves the intimate sphere of life between spouses. Therefore, you can also ask the clergyman questions about contraception. There are many remedies that do not have an abortifacient effect, they can only prevent the birth of life. Be that as it may, all controversial points must be discussed with your loved one, physician or spiritual father.

• rare prayers, refusal to visit the temple;
• thoughts about worldly things during prayers;
• sexual extramarital affairs;
• abortion and its promotion;
• the presence of bad thoughts and desires;
• viewing and reading pornography;
• slander, slander, laziness, resentment;
• exposing one's body in order to attract attention;
• fear of growing old, wrinkles;
• thoughts about suicide;
• abuse of sweets, alcohol, drugs;
• refusal to help those in need;
• divination, divination;
• superstition.

List of male sins

Many people cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion whether a list of sins is important for confession. Some say that such a list will harm the sacrament and turn it into a formal reading of offenses.

The most important thing in the process of confession is the awareness of one's sins, sincere repentance and rejection of them in the future. This means that the list of sins can turn into only a brief reminder, or you can do without it if you do not feel a special need for it.

The balance of spiritual life lies in the realization of the essence of repentance, in which confession is only the beginning of the realization of one's sinfulness. Confession is a long process, which consists of several stages of work on oneself.

• sacrilege, conversations in the church;
• lack of faith, doubt that there is life after death;
• blasphemous behavior, ridicule of the poor;
• manifestations of rigidity, laziness, pride, vanity and greed;
• refusal to serve in the army;
• refusal to perform unwanted work, their duties;
• insulting other people, manifestations of hatred;
• lying, discussing the weaknesses of other people;
• inclination to sin (fornication, drunkenness, drug addiction, gambling);
• refusal to help parents and other people;
• theft of someone else's property;
• boasting, disputes, humiliation of neighbors;
• manifestation of arrogance, rudeness, contempt, familiarity, cowardice.

Confession for children

The Church allows confession for children from the age of seven. Parents will have to prepare their baby for confession in advance: explain to him the essence of the sacrament, explain the purpose for which they resort to it and help the child remember all his probable sins.

It is important that the baby realizes that he must speak only the truth in confession. It is better if the child himself makes a list of his bad deeds. He should understand which of his actions were wrong and not repeat them in the future.

Older children should already be able to decide for themselves whether they want to go to confession. Do not try to limit the free will of teenagers. Sometimes personal examples of parents are much more important than any conversations.

To help your child make a list of sins for confession, you must first ask him a series of questions:

1. Does the baby pray (in the morning and evening, before eating). What prayers does he know?
2. Does he visit the temple?
3. Has he ever lied to his parents?
4. Was it not such that he put his successes and victories above the successes of others (he began to become conceited)?
5. Does he get into fights with other kids, does he offend them?
6. Is he lying against other kids to save himself?
7. Did you ever steal, did you show envy?
8. Did he ridicule the physical flaws of others?
9. Did he resort to smoking, alcohol, drugs, foul language?
10. Is he too lazy to help his parents?
11. Does he sometimes play sick in order not to fulfill his duties?

The Importance of Sincerity in Confession

The priest in the process of confession also takes on the role of a psychologist, he is able to recognize the degree of sincerity of a person in his repentance. After all, there may be such types of confessions that offend the sacrament and God.

If, for example, an individual in a mechanical form simply remembers his sins, confesses to several confessors at once, seeks to hide the truth - with the help of such actions, repentance cannot be achieved.

Wherein of great importance pay to behavior, tone of speech with which a person confesses. This (plus the presence of pangs of conscience) helps the priest to be convinced of the sincerity of the penitent.

Also, in some cases, the identity of the clergyman matters for a person. But this should not become a reason for condemning or commenting on the actions of the clergy. If for some reason your spiritual father is unpleasant to you, you can always change it by contacting another temple.

Some sins and bad actions cause so much moral suffering to a person that he does not even dare to voice them out loud. In such cases, the option of compiling a list of sins and releasing them by the clergyman is allowed, even without reading and viewing.

When you come to church for confession, don't be afraid. The Lord is generous, accepts all sinners. Forgiving the repentant. Do not be afraid of the priest, he is the eyes and ears of the Lord, no one will know about your secret sins. He listens so much throughout the day that by dinnertime he does not remember who came to him and what he said.

Batiushka is the only person who will not wish you harm, envy you. He will only rejoice that another soul has been saved, and thank God that he is all-seeing and all-good for directing you on the right path!

Sins speaking in confession

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

1. "I am your God."Will be listed:

• Do you pray, as you often go to services, just to church?
• Do you confess that you believe in God to your acquaintances?
• Do you believe in God?

2. "Do not make an idol for yourself."This may include:

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

3. Do you remember the Lord in moments of frustration?

4. Do you dedicate a day off to prayer.

5. Do you respect your parents

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

7. Don't seduce anyone, don't ruin someone's marriage and life.

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

9. Do not slander relatives and friends of lies.

10. Don't want what others have.

Preparation for confession of sins, how to repent

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

Don't look for excuses for your actions. If they did so, then they wanted to, and at that time it suited you very much. Before going to confession, reconcile with yourself, your loved ones, ask for forgiveness, if necessary.

The confession is divided into two parts:

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

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

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

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

Sins in confession list for women

Compiling and reading such a ready-made list of many ladies leads to a stupor. To understand that your life is a continuous sinful nightmare is far from being possible for everyone. You should not despair. Consult with the priest, he will briefly explain everything and tell you what and why. No one will invade your personal life, because only the Lord knows why this is so, and how you deserve it. You, having passed the secret of confession, will be able to figure it out and draw the right conclusions, improve your life position and get on the right path to correct life's mistakes. You can discuss contraception with the priest, because abortions are a mortal sin, and it is better to avoid this in time than to repent all your life later.

List of possible sins:

• She was dissatisfied with her position in society, environment, life;
• She was angry with her children, screamed, doubted them;
• She did not trust doctors, doubted their competence;
• I misled myself;
• Set a bad example for your children;
• Jealous;
• Was the cause of scandals;
• The most terrible and deadly sin is arrogance. It is very difficult to fight with him, almost no one notices him, but they yak very often. If you learn to catch yourself on I, rebuild on WE, then you are on the right track.
• She did not pray and rarely read a prayer, did not come to the temple of God;
• During the service, she thought about worldly problems;
• She did abortions herself, and pushed others to this idea;
• I thought badly about people, discussed;
• Reading obscenities or watching obscene films;
• She cursed, lied, envied;
• She was offended for no reason, showing her self to others;
• She wore obscene clothes, too short and defiant, thereby provoking excessive male attention and female envy;
• I was afraid for my appearance and figure;
• Thought about death;
• I ate, drank alcohol, used drugs;
• Refused to help;
• I visited fortune-tellers, fortune-tellers.
• She believed in all sorts of superstitions;

Full confession of sins for women

You need to trust the priest, tell everything:

• If you have not confessed before, then you need to tell about all the offenses you have committed since the age of seven. Hidden sin is doubled, harder to expiate;
• If they confessed, then from the last confession;
• Tell about your sinful thoughts and desires;
• An important place is given to abortion. If you have committed, and more than one, it is worth mentioning all;
• If they were married more than once, cohabited in a civil marriage, or had several men, also;
• If you have children from more than one husband, also;

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

Sins in confession in your own words

I repent, Lord. Sinful. The world is sinful and I'm no better. I despair, I am offended, I am angry. I skip the post on Wednesday and Friday. I don't stick to a strict post. Sometimes I overeat, I'm lazy. I yell at my husband and children. I don't trust people. I'm bad at my job. I'm worried that I don't have enough money. I do not trust the Lord, I rely only on myself, etc.

Full confession of sins

There are several options for confession. Short, involves a description of perfect deeds, words or deeds. A full confession also includes thoughts and desires. Monks go through this confession. Believers, if desired, can also undergo such a complete purification of the soul. To do this, you need to consult with the priest, or read the relevant literature.

Confession how to write a note with sins

The sheet must be divided into parts:

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

Many people think that having written down their misdeeds on a piece of paper, they are doing wrong, and when they come to confession, they forget half of their sins, they go astray. Such a presentation of one's thoughts will streamline the confession itself, and not allow one to forget or hide something.

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

In confession, it is important to repent, to understand what was perfect and not to allow such acts anymore. That is why, it is worth considering the transfer of sins to paper as a design of a memo or a hint.

List of sins in confession for men

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

Possible sins:

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

This is not a complete list of male sins. To most of the above, mankind treats it for granted, and does not consider it a sin at all.

Examples of sins for confession

People sin in their own way. One considers his act the norm, for the other it is a mortal sin.

Here is a rough list of possible options:

• Not faith in the Lord God;
• Doubts;
• Ingratitude to the Savior;
• Not wanting to wear a cross;
• Unwillingness to defend one's opinion about God in front of unbelievers;
• They swore by the Lord to justify themselves;
• They called on God, asked for help in vanity and unbelief;
• They called the Lord;
• Stayed and attended non-Christian churches;
• Hostility;
• They resorted to the help of sorcerers, witches;
• Reading or preaching false doctrines about God;
• We played all kinds of games: cards, slot machines;
• They refused to fast;
• Did not read the prayer book;
• Wanted to commit suicide;
• swearing;
• Don't go to church;
• Think badly of priests;
• Watch TV or sit at the computer, instead of helping loved ones, or doing something around the house;
• Desperate and do not ask God for help;
• Relying too much on others;
• You deceive the priest during confession, or you do not trust him;
• Has a fiery temper;
• Be arrogant towards people;
• Show others your pride and vanity;
• Lie to relatives and friends;
• You mock the poor, the clumsy;
• Show your stinginess, or excessive extravagance;
• Your children are not brought up in the faith and fear of the Lord;
• Do not help the needy, the disadvantaged;
• Do not come to the aid of your parents;
• You resort to theft;
• Do not behave decently at the wake, let alcohol get the better of you;
• You can kill the interlocutor with a word;
• slander;
• Bring a person to sinful thoughts about death;
• Abortion, inducing others to it;
• Imposing your thoughts;
• The cult of money;
• Showing yourself to people as a benefactor;
• Excessive eating, intoxication;
• Adultery, masturbation, incest.

Confession of prodigal sins

Fornication is considered a very serious sin. Previously, such offenses were excommunicated from communion for up to 7 years. It is located inside the person himself, in his subconscious. It eats a person from the inside. Being in such a sophisticated state, you feel euphoria. You no longer want to read a prayer. Such sinners are objectionable to God, he is disgusted by the mere thought of them. But at the same time, having repented, they will be forgiven faster than anyone else.

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

Of course, it's scary to be ashamed, but it's better to tell and repent than to carry this abomination in yourself. And if your family is also expecting a baby, even more so. Why torture the unborn soul of a baby. After all, we pass our sins on to our children. And then we wonder why they get sick, or have a lot of problems in life!

In this case, you should not write a note to the priest. Like, read it, while I go to the store or smoke! This is kindergarten! When they sinned, there was no shame before God, but before the priest, yes!

The most important thing! Repented. Learned the material. Correct your mistake! Don't repeat it! By repeating, you automatically become a hypocrite!

May the Lord keep you from temptation.

Confession sin masturbation

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

Confession means to pass a small judgment of God. Blush, and you will be ashamed only. And there, in that world, at the judgment of God, all your deceased relatives will be ashamed, you can’t hide anything there. Therefore, you have sinned, repent, here and now.

For this sin in the old days they were punished with strict fasting, they sat on bread and water for 40 days. In the service bows were beaten tirelessly.

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

To do such a thing means to waste your strength and life resource in vain. Such behavior indicates that the Orthodox are weak-willed, weak-willed, do not have the strength of mind to control their desires.The Church does not take this for granted. Since for a natural permissible fornication there must be two, a husband and a wife. That's the only way they get approval. Everything else is sinful and unethical.

Priests say about masturbation that it is unclean. It was with this sin that the son of Patriarch Judah Onan was slain. To receive pleasure, God's blessing on church marriage is necessary. And it is easier to enter into it than to be under constant sinful addiction.

She will succumb to sin, maybe the female gender. The Church condemns him no less than the male. It follows from this that they also need to repent.

Onanism also happens among teenagers, girls and boys. At this age, this is more of an unconscious act, leading to this bad hyena, too tight things. Parents are obliged to look after their children, to control their behavior. Correcting this problem is more difficult, children, as a rule, do not understand the full depth of the problem, and do not realize what they are to blame for.

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

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

List of sins for confession with explanations

• I don’t go to confession, I don’t go to church, or I come to services very rarely.I do unnecessary things on my day off, I don’t read prayers.I don't understand what my sins are.
• I'm not in the habit of thanking God.I do not pray in the morning and in the evening. She called God, did not believe in him.
• She gave pets human names.
• I listened to swearing and gossip.Cursing, thereby swearing at the Mother of God. I listened to nonsense.
• Communion without preparation, fasting, prayers.
• She broke the fast, cooked dinner from forbidden foods. She commemorated deceased relatives with alcohol.
• She wore obscene clothes, thereby seducing men, calling for fornication.
• Civil marriage, fornication.
• She had abortions, thereby killing her children, trying to avoid difficulties in life.
• She set a bad example for the children, screamed, beat, did not take them to church, did not teach them prayer, fasting, restraint.
• She was fond of the occult sciences, magic, etc., conducted meditations, attended martial arts sections, which led to communication with demons.
• She took someone else's, loans, things, on credit and did not return, which brought suffering to people.
• She boasted, put herself on display, showed everyone her goodness, thereby humiliating them.
• She violated the rules of the road, thereby creating risky situations.
• She talked about her problems, cried, thereby feeling sorry for herself, justifying herself.

Children's sins in confession

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

From what will be the mood of the child, depends on his attendance at church and attitude towards it. In no case do not insist, if the child is not ready, there will only be harm to his fragile psyche.

Parents can briefly, but correctly, explain to their child what sin is and what they are. Every parent knows the characteristics of their child. For shy children, you can offer to write a note, so you will help him concentrate. Explain to the child that you should not be afraid, that you will not know about his conversation with God. He must learn to trust both you and the priest.

Children's confession list of sins

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

• Does the child attend church and how often? What does he do when he comes to church? Is he interested in being here?
• What prayers does he know?
• Does he have a cross?
• Is he telling the truth to his parents or is he lying?
• How many friends does he have, and what kind of relationship do they have? Is he intolerant of them? How about kids and girls?
• What does he do and what are his interests? Does he show pride in his accomplishments?
• Does he have favorite pets? How does he feel about them?
• Does he love his parents?

Sins of teenagers for confession

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

Exactly at adolescence children manage to get into different stories, trying to get out of them themselves, thinking that they are already adults and have enough experience. They are afraid to confess to their parents, consult with friends.

By attending church and trusting God through a priest, a teenager can avoid many difficult situations. Do not spoil your life, do not take the path of sin from such a young age.

What can a father ask?

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

Are all sins forgiven in confession?

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

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

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

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

priest Dimitri Galkin

V. Ponomarev

Archimandrite Lazar

arch.

Archpriest M. Shpolyansky

Ekaterina Orlova

Hieromonk Evstafiy (Khalimankov)

Hieromonk Agapius (Dove)

Preparation for Confession- a test of conscience before.

Unlike the magical rite of purification, which allows the blind execution of the instructions of a “clergy” sorcerer or magician, the Sacrament of Penance implies the presence of faith, the awareness of personal guilt before God and neighbors, a sincere and conscious desire to be freed from the power of sin.
The Sacrament of Penance cannot be approached mechanically. The forgiveness and absolution of sins is not a legal act of declaring the sinner innocent. Everyone who has confessed at least once in his life could pay attention to what kind of prayer is read over him: "reconcile and unite the saints of your Church." Through the Sacrament of Penance, a person is reconciled with, restores himself as a member.

Repentance for sin consists of 3 stages: Repent of sin as soon as it is committed; remember him at the end of the day and again ask God for forgiveness for him; confess it in the Sacrament of Repentance (Confession) and receive permission from this sin.

From the Sacrament of Penance should be distinguished:
— a confidential spiritual conversation with a priest;
- a repentant conversation before (optional).

Where and when can you confess?

You can confess anywhere on any day of the year, but confession is generally accepted at a scheduled time or by agreement with. The confessor must be baptized.

It is better not to come to the first confession or confession after a long break on Sundays or the days of great church holidays, when the churches are full of prayers and the line for confession is long. It is also advisable to come to the Sacrament in advance.

The First Confession should not be combined with the First Communion in order to fully experience the impressions of this great event in our lives. However, this is just advice.

How to prepare for Confession?

In preparation for confession, in contrast to preparation for the Sacrament of Communion, the church charter does not require any special or special prayer rule.

Before going to confession it is appropriate:
- Focus on prayers of repentance.
- Carefully examine thoughts, thoughts, deeds; note, if possible, all your sinful traits (as an auxiliary tool, cite those accusations that came from relatives, friends, and other people).
- If possible, seek forgiveness from those who were offended by sin, offended by inattention, indifference.
- Consider the plan of confession, and, if necessary, prepare questions for the priest.
- In case of serious sins or rare confession, an additional fast may be recommended.

- Sins are confessed from the moment of the last confession, if they have never been confessed, then from the moment of Baptism.
- In the Sacrament, all sins are forgiven, with the exception of those deliberately hidden. If you forgot to name some minor sin, then don't worry. The sacrament is called the sacrament repentance, but not " The sacrament of listing all the sins committed ".
- First of all, you need to confess what you are ashamed of! Tactically, confession should always be very substantive and specific. You can’t repent that you are “proud” - it’s pointless. Because after such your repentance nothing changes in our life. We can repent of having arrogantly looked at or said some words of condemnation to a particular person. Because, having repented of this, in next time We'll think about whether it's worth it. It is impossible to repent "in general", abstractly. Subject confession allows you to simultaneously draw up a plan to combat certain passions. At the same time, pettiness should be avoided; there is no need to list a large number of sins of the same type.
Don't use sly generalizations. For example, under the phrase dealt unjustly with one's neighbor can be understood as involuntary grief, and murder.
- It is not necessary to describe sexual sins in detail, it is enough to name them. For example: sinned ( , ).
In preparation for and at Confession, self-justification should be avoided.
- If you do not feel your sins, it is recommended to turn to God with " Lord, grant me to see my sins».

Is it possible to write down sins so as not to forget them at confession?

What to do if you do not consider yourself a sinful person? Or if the sins are ordinary, like everyone else.

You should compare yourself first of all with, then your own spiritual health will not look so rosy.
A clear conscience is a sign of a short memory...

Is it worth confessing if you will surely sin again with some sins?

Is it worth it to wash if you know for sure that you will get dirty again? Repentance is a desire to be reborn, it does not begin with confession and does not end with it, it is the work of a lifetime. Repentance is not only a listing of sins before the testimony of a priest, it is a state that hates sin and avoids it.
Repentance should not be just an emotional release, it is a systematic, meaningful work on oneself, with the goal of approaching God in one’s qualities, becoming like Him in. Orthodoxy has an inexhaustible ascetic heritage compiled by holy ascetics, which must be studied for proper organization.
Our goal is not just to be cleansed of sins and passions, but to acquire. It is not enough, for example, to stop stealing, it is necessary to learn mercy.

Gross sins have already been overcome, and at every confession one has to repeat practically the same sins. How to get out of this vicious circle?

Bishop Tikhon (Shevkunov): “For people who have been churched for a long time, the “list” of sins, as a rule, is approximately the same from confession to confession. There may be a sense of some formal spiritual life. But at home we often sweep the floor, and, thank God, not every time we have to rake the Augean stables. It's just not a problem. The trouble is that you begin to notice how the life of some Christians becomes duller and duller over the years. But it should be the opposite: it should become more and more saturated and more and more joyful.

However, you don't need to be complacent that you can't conquer all sins, you just need to realize that not all sins and passions can be conquered instantly. This is a system task, the solution of which is.

I have very difficult life circumstances, I am afraid that a simple priest will not understand me.

The Lord will understand anyway. There is a good story about this: .

God wished that we repent not before sinless angels, but before people. We should be ashamed of committing sin, not repentance. If a person sincerely hates his sins, then he will not hesitate to confess them to the priest.

Sometimes you can see that some parishioners, with amazing pedantry and scrupulousness, confessing to the slightest violations of church rules or disrespect for shrines, with the same amazing constancy, remain rather tough and unpeaceful in relations with people around them.
Priest Philip

Christianity cannot exist without confession, because all people are not perfect, who among us is without sin. However, it is important that we realize how to properly confess before communion and why this is necessary.

Confession is a sacrament where a Christian repents of his sins before the Lord, in the face of a clergyman. And he forgives the believer in the name of the Savior. The trust of one's sins is not a forcible pulling out of conscience from darkness, not just curiosity, not a judgment on a parishioner who has sinned. Confession before communion is not a simple conversation about shortcomings, doubts. Especially not a report to your confessor on the topic of sin, or just a custom.

Confession before communion is sincere repentance coming from the heart. Also the need for spiritual purification, death in sins and resurrection in holiness. Confession is the great Mystery of the philanthropy of Jesus Christ towards his children. Why does a man wash away dirt from his body? Just as a Christian cares about the purity of the flesh, so he should preserve spiritual purity with even greater zeal. After all, the body is perishable, but the soul is eternal.

Spiritual dirt is the sin that can only be “washed away” by confession before communion. Sins, like soot, settle on the soul, if they are not repented, they burden a person. The parishioner does not find peace, feels empty inside. Under the burden of sin, a person gets irritated for no reason, bears insults to his loved ones, losing inner confidence. What is happening, he cannot understand himself, but the point is unconfessed sins. Repentance restores purity to the soul, which has been tarnished by unseemly deeds.

Confession before communion is God's mercy to a fallen man who is weak in his faith. This is available to every believer who is looking for a way to save the soul from sins. Sincere repentance gives parishioners not only the remission of sins, but replenishes their spiritual well-being: the worldview is renewed, lightness and goodness come, unacceptable passions go away. The sacrament of confession returns to the purity received from Baptism.

Confession before communion in the temple, everyone causes extraordinary excitement. Especially if this is the first repentance. It is necessary to leave experiences: the abode of God is not a place for condemnation. On the contrary, after talking with the priest, telling him about your hardships, the soul will be relieved, the world will open its arms and negative energy will leave. How to properly prepare for confession? There are some canons that must be followed at a secret confession in the temple:

• There is no need to restore every single sin, in the smallest detail. The clergy believe that people are trying in this way to seek the guilt of third parties. After all, it is easier to blame others, removing responsibility for the offense committed.
• In the course of the sacrament of confession, it is better to characterize the sins committed by a single name. For example: I blasphemed, got angry, stole, hated, and so on.
• It is necessary to come to the church at the beginning of the service in order to listen, together with everyone else, to the common prayers that the priest reads before the start of confession.
• During the sacrament of confession, before communion, one must approach the priest, baptize oneself and kiss the crucifix and the Gospel. Then list the sins. Then the priest with a prayer will give permission for communion. You need to be ready for rejection, this will pacify the passions of the parishioner. Do not grumble, but accept with humility.

Important! When a sin is voiced, a vow is given to oneself - not to repeat it again. Forgive enemies, envious people and everyone who repaired grievances. Try to calm down and gain humility.

How to properly prepare for confession, how to recognize your sins, video

List of sins

• claims to people and life
• cheating on a husband or wife
• fear of people or circumstances
• fear of professing Christianity to people
• unjustified anger
• concern
• excessive talkativeness
• pride
• violence, assault
• cruelty towards people
• cruelty to animals
• occultism
• backbiting
• refusal to participate in Christian sacraments
• bitterness, bitterness
• blasphemy
• not forgiving your offenders
• self-interest
• corrupt practices
• misleading
• boasting
• make a child sin
• child cheating,
• contempt for children is the same as despising God
  (Luke 10:16)
• child abuse
• abandonment of an unborn child
• condemnation
• put the cares of the world above God
• refusal to help
• not humility before God's punishment
• disobedience to God's commandments
• lack of compassion
• constant complaints
• contempt
• not content with what you have
• insincerity
• don't be meek and quiet
• participation in strife, quarrels
• unwillingness to change in accordance with the commandments
• stubbornness
• turning to false advice (not from God)
• coarseness
• insatiable desire for worldly gain
• envy
• cunning
• despair
• doubts about the power of God
• aggression towards the rich/poor
• aggression towards men/women
• failure to return debts
• deception
• fraud
• perjury
• give in to temptations
• despondency
• despair
• drunkenness
• injustice
• hostility
• evil desire
• rancor
• intemperance from every manifestation of evil
• revenge
• extortion
• lack of faith
• flattery for profit
• greed
• dislike of God with all your heart, soul and mind
• striving for God in words, but not in the heart
• trust in man, not in God
• hope in wealth, not in God
• separating yourself from God
• not be thankful to God in all circumstances
• indulgence
• see your own interest, not Christ
• disrespect for parents
• humiliation of oneself or others
• inflicting mental and physical pain
• hypocrisy
• irresponsibility
• jealousy
• justification of the wicked
• theft
• animal killing
• lack of love
• resentment
• abuse
• bias
• don't pray in the name of Jesus
• selfishness
• deliberate non-commitment of good deeds
• harmfulness
• betrayal

How to be baptized Orthodox right to left or left to right

How does confession work in church?

In order to properly prepare for confession, it is important to have an idea of ​​​​how the Sacrament takes place in the temple.

Confession is usually performed in the morning, before the Divine Liturgy, in the evening during the service and after. In special cases, it is possible to ask the confessor for a different time for the audience. Before the ritual of the sacrament of confession, the priest says a common prayer, where in a certain place, the parishioner says his name aloud. It is necessary to go in the church to a hill in the form of a table-lectern. At this place, parishioners stand in line, wanting to utter repentant words. While waiting for your confession, you need to mentally say prayers, remembering personal sins.

There are many printed publications that tell about the correct preparation for the sacrament, there is also a list of human sins. Such brochures can be read, but not taken as a guide to action. After all, everyone has their own sins, you need to do as your conscience tells you. Otherwise, it won't be useful. If there is a need for spiritual help for confession, one can study the experience, advice of the venerable elders or priests known in the world. However, we must remember that confession goes to the Living Lord. He is invisibly present in the sacrament, and the bishop is a witness (this is mentioned in the prayer), with the help of which God forgives the sins of the parishioner.

You need to tell the father the whole truth, hiding nothing. Restraint must be discarded, because a priest is like a doctor, only a doctor heals the body, and the priest heals the human soul. All questions must be answered clearly without hesitation. The main thing to remember is that all information will remain a secret that only the clergyman will know. If a Christian sincerely repents of his misdeeds, everything is forgiven him irrevocably.

Believers who go to confession before communion for the first time are nervous about how everything will go. Orthodox churches practice common confession. Any Christian can visit them, as well as talk alone with the priest. At general rituals, the bishop has the right to forgive the sins of the parishioners who came to the sacrament. He begins to enumerate the transgressions and sins that often happen to people. This action allows you to refresh your memory and come out long-forgotten unseemly thoughts and actions.

After the end of the confession, the person bows his head, and the priest covers him with the lower part of his vestment - the stole, and says a resolving prayer. In conclusion, you need to touch your lips to the cross, the Gospel, the clergyman blesses with the sign of the cross. After the end of the ceremony, it is necessary to cross yourself and kiss the cross and the Gospel. Then you need to ask the priest for blessings. Confessional days in the temples, it is advisable to clarify a few days before the alleged sacrament. Every believing Christian should remember these details:

• The ritual of repentance is carried out in the church for free. You can make a voluntary donation for the needs of the parish, if it comes from a pure heart.
• Confession is not an obligation, a person decides whether or not to go to the sacrament.
• Coercion by laity or clergy is prohibited. Any violence goes against the Orthodox faith.

It is desirable for a Christian to be led through life by his own spiritual father. You can always consult with him, ask for help in a difficult situation. He will spiritually guide a person, point out mistakes, and rejoice in victories together. There are people who, for various reasons, remained unbaptized. This should be done as quickly as possible so as not to plunge your soul into the abyss of dirt and darkness. It is necessary to come to the temple, learn everything about the preparation, the passage of the ritual of confession before baptism.

What to say in confession, video

How to confess correctly, examples of confession

Example #1. Numerous parishes gather in churches in populous cities. Up to several dozen people come to confession. For such cases, Orthodoxy provides for "general confessions." There are usually a lot of people on Great Lent when suddenly everyone remembers their sins. The priest announces the sins committed by people, and the parishioners repent, saying - Sinful (sinful)! True, for permissive prayer one must approach one by one, to each Christian. Cross your arms over your chest and say your christened name. Then an epitrachelion is applied, and the layman is blessed with the name of the Lord. The only recommendation is that you should not use this method of purification in your first confession.

Example #2. Write down all sins and sins on paper. The sheet with the list that is taken to confession is called a charter. She is allowed, because, standing near the Gospel, the priest and the crucifix, there comes a moment of embarrassment. What I wanted to say, what to repent of, is instantly forgotten. Approach the priest and say: “I am a sinner before the Lord” and begin to read out the recorded sins. You don't have to go into detail about what you did. If, for example, you took someone else's thing, you do not need to describe where it was and who else was present. Enough of these words: Committed the sin of stealing. But dryly enumerating the entire list is not desirable. For example, you will come up and start saying: “I sinned with adultery, envy, foul language, and so on on the list.” It’s also impossible to do this, it’s better to say: “I sinned, God, by cheating on my spouse” or “I condemn my girlfriend.” This must be done, because, the holy father, listening to your confession, will definitely advise how to overcome this or that passion. Together with him you will understand the causes of this weakness. It is worth ending the confession with the words: “Lord! I repent before you. Have mercy on me and save my sinful soul!”

How to put candles in the church sequence

Example #3. This example of a confession was compiled by the clergy of one of the monasteries:

Example of confession before communion, video

Is there a list of sins in the Bible?

There are many lists of sins in the Bible, but there is no single list of all the sins we should avoid. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were given only one rule - not to eat from a certain tree (Genesis 2:16-17). It was a short list, but they couldn't even keep that. History's lesson again is that making a list of sins is not enough to keep us from committing sin.

A cursory glance at Scripture confirms this fact. God gave the law through Moses, including the Ten Commandments. Yet Israel broke the first commandment even before Moses came down from the mountain. Sinai.

The same applies to the rest of the law of Moses. Jewish religious leaders found in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) 613 laws that must be obeyed. Although these laws defined what sin was, they could not guarantee the avoidance of sin.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took parts of the Law and showed that there was more to them than mere obedience. To please God means to do what is right with a pure heart. For example, regarding adultery, Jesus said, “But I tell you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The law said adultery should be avoided, but Jesus taught the larger principle of purity of heart.

There are several lists of sins in the New Testament (eg Galatians 5:19-21), but they do not claim to be complete. From these lists, we can identify practices we should avoid, but we recognize that our struggle with sin is beyond the capacity of any list. Sin is “all evil” (1 John 5:17). Sins of omission are also erroneous: “He who knows what is right to do and does not do it, it is a sin for him” (James 4:17).

With all these ways of sinning, it's easy to feel like you're giving up or not even trying. Yet this sense of inadequacy is what God uses to show us our need for a Savior. The more we recognize our guilt, the more we depend on Him. Everything begins with a relationship with Christ and the experience of a new life (John 3:16).

After God has saved us, we can say no to sin:

“Therefore, you also become dead to sin and resurrected to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not allow sin to dominate your physical body in order to force you to obey its passions. Do not present your worshipers to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourself to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:11-14)

Confession in the Catholic Church

One begins with a good "examination" of conscience. We need to maintain our lives according to the pattern God has revealed for us to live. For example, we take time to reflect on the 10 commandments, the beatitudes, the commandments of the Church, and the virtues of prudence, fortitude, moderation, and justice.

The examination of our conscience is like going back and looking at the picture of our life compared to the masterpiece of life revealed by God. Remember, when we were kids, we used to redraw pictures a lot. We took a sheet of plain paper, held it over the original picture, and then brought it to the window. The light allowed us to transfer the original picture onto our blank sheet of paper. Periodically, we had to stop and step back to see if our paper had slipped off the original, if we had deviated from the lines.

Similarly, when we live, we match our lives with God's way of life. By examining our conscience, we step back and honestly evaluate how well we fit into God's pattern and stay within His boundaries. We are currently reflecting on the progress made since our last confession in dealing with weaknesses, shortcomings, temptations, and past sins. Hopefully, we will see an improvement in our spiritual well-being. However, when we failed or went beyond God's masterpiece, we sinned. We must recognize venial sins—those minor sins that weaken our relationship with the Lord—from mortal sins—those sins that break our relationship with the Lord and “kill” the presence of sanctifying grace in our souls. Here we remember the words of Jesus: “Everyone who does evil hates the light; he does not approach him for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who acts in truth comes into the light to make it clear that his works are finished in God” (John 3:20-21).

Given this test of conscience, we have repentance for our sins. Although we regret sin because we fear the fires of hell and the loss of heaven, and God's just punishments, we regret it most because our sins offend God, whom we should love above all else. Love for God moves us to repent of sin and seek reconciliation.

Sorrow for sin motivates us to have a firm intention to sin no more. We may sin again, but we try not to. We do not plan to leave the confessional place and commit the same sins again.

When we enter the confessional in most Churches, we have the option of remaining anonymous or meeting with the priest. Whatever option a person chooses, everything that is said during confession is kept secret by the priest.

We confess to a priest for three reasons: First, the priest has the authority of the apostles by virtue of his ordination. On the night of the resurrection, Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven them; if you keep them bound, they will be bound” (John 20:22-23). The priest is the minister of the sacrament, acting in the person of Christ.

Secondly, he is a spiritual father. Just as we see a doctor to heal when we are physically sick, we see a priest when our soul is sick and in need of healing.

Thirdly, the priest represents the Church and the people against whom we have sinned. In the early days of the Church, people publicly confessed sin at the beginning of Mass and were forgiven. To our relief, for centuries we have had personal recognition.

Next, we make the sign of the cross and say, "Bless me, father, for I have sinned." You can also just start: "In the name of the Father ...". Then we must state when we made our last confession: "It has been (how long) since my last confession."

Then we confess our sins. We must be specific. Sometimes people say, "I broke the sixth commandment," which covers everything from lustful thoughts to rape and adultery. We don't need to provide the full story, just the basics so the priest can help. When we have finished confessing our sins, we declare, "I am sorry for these and all my sins." With this information, the priest can advise us something. He also appoints repentance to heal the pain caused by sin and strengthen our souls from future temptation. He then asks us to say an act of repentance, which is usually the traditional prayer: “My God, I am so sorry that I offended You. I hate all my sins because of Your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserve all my love. I am determined, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the next occasions of sin. Amen."

Finally, the priest gives absolution. Think of the beautiful words: “God the Father of mercy, through the death and resurrection of his son, reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church, may God forgive you and the world, and I release you from your sins in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

At the end of the confession, the priest tells us: "Thank the Lord that He is good," to which we answer: "His mercy is eternal." (Many priests may simply say, "God bless you.")

The sacrament of repentance is a beautiful sacrament through which we are reconciled to God, ourselves, and our neighbors. We never want any sin to weaken our relationship with our Lord. Remember the words of the apostle Paul: “God is rich in mercy; By His great love for us, He brought us to life with Christ when we died of sin” (Ephesians 2:4).