How to list sins. Complete list of sins in confession

“But I have revealed to You my sin, and I have not hidden my iniquity;

I said: "I confess my transgressions to the Lord,"

and You have taken away from me the guilt of my sin ”(Ps. 31: 5)

This list is provided so that those preparing for confession could look deeper into themselves, more precisely to find expressions, names of their illnesses. It is useful at the same time to draw up an approximate plan for yourself - what sins to confess, so as not to forget later in confession; but it will be necessary not only to read from a piece of paper about your ulcers, but with a feeling of guilt and repentance, open them before God, take them out of your soul like nasty snakes, and get rid of them with a feeling of disgust.

Disbelief. Atheism. Failure to keep the vows of Holy Baptism. Disrespect for icons, not wearing a cross.

Lack of faith... Doubt about the omnipotence and mercy of the Creator. Lack of hope for salvation, despair, thoughts and suicide attempts. Distrust of the Providence of God. Disbelief in the Lord. Fear of old age, poverty, disease, future sorrows. The lack of gratitude from God for everything that happens to us. Ascribing successes to oneself and murmuring for failures against God. A look at Orthodoxy as a national tradition, a set of external rituals. The discrepancy between our words and deeds in the temple and outside the church fence.

Superstition and heresy. Belief in omens, dreams, horoscopes, astrological forecasts. Seeking help from the intermediaries of demonic power - occultists: psychics, bioenergetics, contactless masseurs, hypnotists, folk healers, sorcerers, sorcerers, healers, fortune-tellers, astrologers, parapsychologists, Scientologists. Watching and listening to TV and radio programs with their participation, reading occult literature. (“White” sorcerers and healers do not exist. Even if they read prayers, hang icons on the stage and assure them of their love for the Church - don’t believe! According to the teachings of the Holy Fathers, these are wolves in sheep's clothing). Participation in coding sessions, removal of "spoilage and evil eye", spiritualism. Contact with UFOs and "higher intelligence". Connection to "cosmic energies". Study of theosophy, Eastern philosophy and religious cults, yoga, meditation, following the system of Porfiry Ivanov. Study of the Roerichs "living ethics", Dianetics and Scientology (Hubbard's teachings) and participation in auditing sessions, etc.

Attendance at speeches of Protestant preachers, participation in meetings of Baptists, evangelists, Adventists, Pentecostals (charismatics), "Word of Life" Church, Munites ("Unification Church"), "Jehovah's Witnesses", "Theotokos Center", "White Brotherhood" and others non-Orthodox religious organizations. Viewing and listening to TV and radio programs with their participation. Participation in non-Orthodox divine services, receiving baptism from sectarians. Attending services and participating in the Sacraments with schismatics, many of whom call themselves Orthodox, but are not in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church: the Old Believers-bespopovtsy, Uniates (Greek Catholics) and others ("Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate", "Free Orthodox Church "," True Orthodox Church ", etc.). Agitation and dissemination of the ideas of the aforementioned sects, "churches" and organizations.

Blasphemy and God... A murmur against God for suffering that seems to us undeserved. An unfair attitude towards God, church relics, the Sacraments. Disrespect for clergy. Mentioning the name of God or the Most Holy Theotokos is in vain (in everyday conversations as interjections: "Oh, you, Lord," "God is with him," "All we have is not glory to God," etc.). Mentioning sacred words in jest, in anger, along with insults. Prayer for the punishment of another person. It is also sinful to threaten the wrath of the Lord with one's enemies. Summoning evil spirits in anger or simple conversation (swearing). The use of obscene words.

Non-prayer. Disregard for church service. Failure to attend church on Sundays and public holidays. Being late for a church service due to negligence and leaving the church before the end of the service. Inattention and distraction at home and church prayer. Conversations during the service. Infrequent confession and communion without proper preparation. Lack of understanding of the meaning of the sacraments performed and lack of interest in this knowledge. Failure to comply with morning and evening prayer rules. Failure to pray before and after meals.

Selfishness and self-centeredness. Self-love. Disrespect for parents, disrespect for elders. Lack of love for one's neighbor, impatience, unmercifulness, suspiciousness, jealousy, suspicion of disposition, inconstancy in relation to neighbors. Excessive concern for your health.

Pride and vanity. High opinion of yourself, of your imaginary merits. High-mindedness, loss of simplicity. Self-will, disobedience. Self-justification, condemnation of one's neighbor. Neglecting one's spiritual state, with a desire to teach and "save" others. Seeking fame, praise from people. Unequal attitude towards others (discernment). Creation of good deeds, charity and prayer in plain sight, to show people (hypocrisy). Man-pleasing, cunning, flattery. Touchiness. Envy. Stubbornness.

Spiritual beauty. Opinion about their chosenness, self-esteem and those who have achieved special spiritual perfection. Taking dreams for divine "revelations". A trusting attitude towards the waking phenomena of visions and signs. The desire to see angels, to be worthy of the revelations of God, to heal people, to perform miracles.

Despondency. Extinction of love for others, indifference to the suffering of others, inability to rejoice in the joy of a neighbor. Doubt about the possibility of forgiving one's sins. Coldness and lukewarmness towards the spiritual, carelessness about salvation. Laziness. Love of bodily peace, empty daydreaming. Empty pastime, "killing time". Excessive sleep. Television omnivorousness. Computer addiction. Reading empty books.

Idle talk. Verbosity. Empty, useless talk. Gossip, retelling of rumors. Singing passionate songs. Love of controversy. Empty laughter, jokes, witticisms, anecdotes.

Lie. Misleading a neighbor by word, deed or silence. Failure to keep promises made. Craftiness. Sycophantity. Gossip, inventions and exaggerations in idle conversations. Slander. Bold reasoning about obscure things. Jokes based on deception. Concealment of sins in confession.

Love of money. Addiction to money, things, to all kinds of material goods, manifested both in the form of extravagance, and in the opposite of avarice. Desire for wealth. Love for gifts. Envy. Not mercy, contempt for the poor. Excessive concern for your well-being and the fear of losing it. Gambling.

Theft. Illegal misappropriation of someone else's property (private or public). Failure to return money debts or things given for a time. Parasitism, begging unnecessarily. Damage to the property of a neighbor. Collecting payment for your work in excess of the due (extortion).

Gluttony. Treating food as a source of pleasure. An embrace. Drunkenness. Smoking. Failure to observe fasts (many-day fasts - Great, Petrov, Dormition and Christmas; one-day fasts - on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on special days established by the Church). Eating food out of boredom, despondency, idleness. Dissatisfaction with food.

Fornication. Fornication, the so-called "civil marriage". Adultery (adultery). Incest. Sodomy, bestiality, masturbation. Seduction, violence. Viewing seductive shows, slutty films, paintings, books. Seductive conversations, obscene stories. Prodigal dreams. Intemperance in married life on fast days.

Anger. Irritability. Hot temper, acceptance of angry thoughts. Bearing in thoughts of vengeance and anger, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of the mind by it. Coarseness. Obscene screaming, argument, abusive and cruel words. Memory malice. Hatred, enmity, intransigence, revenge, slander, condemnation, indignation and resentment of one's neighbor.

Murder. Taking the life of another person. Attempted suicide. Abortion (murder in the womb). Assault, beatings, wounds, mutilations. Incitement to a fight, playing off people with gossip, slander, slander. Failure to provide assistance to the sick, dying, homeless, hungry, drowning in front of your eyes, beaten or robbed, victims of fire or floods. Killing animals unnecessarily, torturing them. Not raising children in the Orthodox faith. Mockery, mockery of someone else's grief.

The desire to confess appears not only among people who worship the law of God. Even the sinner is not lost to the Lord.

He is given the opportunity to change through the revision of his own views and the recognition of the committed sins, the correct repentance for them. After being cleansed of sins and embarking on the path of correction, a person cannot fall again.

The need to confess arises in someone who:

• committed a grave sin;
• terminally ill;
• wants to change the sinful past;
• decided to get married;
• preparing for communion.

For the first time, children up to the age of seven and parishioners who baptized on this day can take communion without confession.

Note! It is allowed to come to confession upon reaching the age of seven.

It often happens that the need to confess arose in a mature person for the first time. In this case, you need to remember your sins committed from the age of seven.

There is no need to rush, we remember everything, write down the list of sins on a piece of paper. The priest is a witness of the Sacrament, he should not be ashamed and ashamed of him, as well as the most forgiving God himself.

God, in the person of the holy fathers, forgives grave sins. But in order to receive God's forgiveness, you need to seriously work on yourself.

To atone for sins, a repentant person performs the penance imposed on him by the priest. And only after its fulfillment, the repentant parishioner is forgiven with the help of the "prayer of permission" of the priest.

Important! As you prepare yourself for confession, forgive those who offended you and ask forgiveness from the one whom you offended.

You can go to confession if only you are able to drive away obscene thoughts from yourself. No entertainment and frivolous literature, it is better to remember the Holy Scriptures.

Confession takes place in the following order:

• wait for your turn to confess;
• turn to those present with the words: "Forgive me, a sinner", having heard in response that God will forgive, and we forgive, and only then approach the priest;
• in front of a high stand - bow your head, making the sign of the cross and bowing, begin to confess correctly;
• after listing the sins, listen to the priest;
• then, having crossed ourselves and bowed twice, we kiss the Cross and the holy book of the Gospel.

Think in advance how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest. An example, the definition of sins, can be taken from the biblical commandments. We begin each phrase with the words what I sinned and what exactly.

We speak without details, we formulate only the sin itself, unless the father himself asks about the details. If you need God's forgiveness, you must sincerely repent of your actions.

It is stupid to hide anything from the priest, he is the assistant of the all-seeing God.

The goal of a spiritual healer is to help you repent of your sins. And if you have tears, the priest has achieved his goal.

What is considered a sin?

The biblical commandments known to everyone will help to determine what sins to call the priest during confession:

Important! The primary sins, on the basis of which others appear, include arrogance, pride and arrogance in communication.

An example of confession in the church: what sins to say?

Let's consider how to confess correctly, what to say to the priest, an example of confession.

Confession written on paper can be used if the parishioner is very shy. Even the priests allow it, but the priest does not need to give the sample, we list it in our own words.

An example of confession is welcomed in Orthodoxy:

1. when approaching the priest, do not think about earthly affairs, try to listen to your soul;
2. turning to the Lord, one must say that I have sinned against You;
3. list the sins, saying: "I have sinned ... (by adultery or a lie or something else)";
4. we tell sins without details, but not very briefly;
5. Having finished the enumeration of sins, we repent and ask for salvation and alms from the Lord.

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Discussion: 3 comments

And if there are still few sins, but it’s not very clean on my conscience, and I promised my MCH to be sure to church. His first requirement is to go to confession and repent of all grave problems. Which, fortunately, I don't have many. And I have this now a real problem. What if you go to confess on the Internet? Who thinks what on this topic? Well, as I understand it, you post your site and there the priest prays for you and absolves you of sin. Not?

To answer

1. Forgive me, in my opinion you don't need to go to church at the request of the MCH. What is it for? This is done for GOD, for the purification of the soul, and not because someone “demands”. As far as I understand, you do not have this need. God cannot be deceived - neither through the Internet, nor in the temple.

   To answer

I answer Christine. Christina, no, you can't confess over the Internet. I understand that you are afraid of the priest, but think about it, the clerk is only a witness of your repentance (after your death, he will intercede before God and say that you have repented if it was, in turn, the demons will talk about what you did not repent of ) do not complicate the future for either priest or yourself. There is no need to hide sins, there is no need to hide them, otherwise you will increase them in quantity. We must honestly tell the whole truth about our evil deeds, not justifying ourselves, but condemning ourselves for them. Repentance is the correction of thoughts and life. After confession, you kiss the cross and the Gospel in a promise to God to fight the sins you confessed. Look for God! Guardian Angel!

To answer

In the modern world, the gospel call to always be awake and to pray unceasingly is very difficult to put into practice. Constant worries, a very high pace of life, especially in large cities, practically deprive Christians of the opportunity to retire and appear before God in prayer. But the concept of prayer is still extremely relevant, and recourse to it is certainly necessary. Regular prayer always leads to the thought of repentance, which occurs in confession. Prayer is an example of how you can accurately and objectively assess your state of mind.

Sin concept

Sin should not be seen as some kind of legal violation of God-given law. This is not a “going beyond the bounds” accepted in consciousness, but a violation of the laws natural to human nature. Each person is endowed by God with absolute freedom, respectively, any falls are committed consciously. In fact, by committing sin, a person neglects the commandments and values ​​given from above. There is a free choice in favor of negative actions, thoughts and other actions. Such a spiritual crime harms the person himself, damaging the very vulnerable inner strings of human nature. The basis of sin lies in passions, inherited or acquired, as well as the original susceptibility, which made a person mortal and weaker to various diseases and vices.

This greatly contributes to the soul deviating towards evil and immorality. Sin is different, its severity, of course, depends on many factors in which it is committed. There is a conditional division of sins: against God, against your neighbor and against yourself. Considering one's own actions through such a gradation, one can understand how to write a confession. An example will be discussed below.

Awareness of sin and confession

It is extremely important to understand that in order to eliminate dark spiritual stains, you should constantly turn your inner gaze on yourself, analyze your actions, thoughts and words, and objectively evaluate the moral scale of your own values. Having found disturbing and haunted features, you need to carefully deal with them, because if you close your eyes to sin, very soon you will get used to it, which will distort the soul and lead to spiritual illness. The main way out of this situation is repentance and repentance.

It is repentance that grows from the depths of the heart and mind that can change a person for the better, bring the light of kindness and mercy. But the path of repentance is a lifelong path. In his own way he is inclined to sin and will commit it every day. Even the great ascetics, who retired in desolate places, sinned with thoughts and could daily repentance. Therefore, close attention to your soul should not weaken, and with age, the criteria for personal assessment should be subjected to more stringent requirements. The next step after repentance is confession.

An example of correct confession is true repentance

In Orthodoxy, confession is recommended for all people over the age of seven. A child brought up in a Christian family, by the age of seven or eight, already acquires an idea of ​​the sacrament. Often it is prepared in advance, explaining in detail all aspects of this difficult issue. Some parents show an example of a written confession that was invented beforehand. A child left alone with such information has the opportunity to reflect and see something in himself. But in the case of children, priests and parents rely primarily on the psychological state of the child and his perception of the world, the ability to analyze and understand the criteria of good and evil. With excessive haste to forcibly involve children, sometimes we can observe disastrous results and examples.

Confessions in the church often turn into a formal "roll call" of sins, while performing only the "outer" part of the sacrament is unacceptable. You cannot try to justify yourself, hide something embarrassing and shameful. You need to listen to yourself and understand whether repentance is really present, or there is just an ordinary ritual ahead that will not benefit the soul, but can cause significant harm.

Confession is a voluntary and repentant enumeration of sins. This sacrament includes two main parts:

1) Confession of sins before a priest by a person who has come to the sacrament.

2) Prayer forgiveness and resolution of sins, which is pronounced by the shepherd.

Preparing for confession

The question that torments not only new-born Christians, but sometimes those who have been in the church for a long time - what to say in confession? An example of how to repent can be found in various sources. This can be a prayer book or a separate book dedicated to this particular sacrament.

When preparing for confession, one can rely on the commandments, ordeals, take the example of the confession of holy ascetics, who left notes and sayings on this topic.

If you build a penitential monologue on the basis of the division of sins into three types given above, then you can determine an incomplete, approximate list of deviations.

Sins against God

This category includes lack of faith, superstition, lack of hope for God's mercy, formality and lack of faith in the dogmas of Christianity, murmur and ingratitude of God, oaths. This group includes an unfair attitude towards objects of veneration - icons, the Gospel, the Cross, and so on. It should be mentioned skipping services for a disrespectful reason and abandoning mandatory rules, prayers, as well as if the prayers were read hastily, without attention and the necessary concentration.

Adherence to various sectarian teachings, thoughts of suicide, turning to sorcerers and sorcerers, wearing mystical talismans is considered apostasy, this must be brought to confession. An example of this category of sins is, of course, approximate, and each person can add or reduce this list.

Sins against the neighbor

This group examines the attitude towards people: relatives, friends, colleagues and just casual acquaintances and strangers. The first thing that most often clearly opens in the heart is the lack of love. Often, instead of love, there is a consumer attitude. Inability and unwillingness to forgive, hatred, malevolence, ill will and revenge, avarice, condemnation, gossip, lies, indifference to someone else's misfortune, mercy and cruelty - all these ugly thorns of the human soul must be confessed. The acts in which there was open self-harm or material harm are indicated separately. It can be fights, extortion, robbery.
The most serious sin is abortion, which will certainly entail church punishment after it is brought to confession. An example of what punishment can be can be obtained from the parish priest. Penalties are usually imposed, but they will be disciplinary rather than expiatory.

Self-directed sins

This group is reserved for personal sins. Despondency, terrible despair and thoughts of one's own hopelessness or excessive pride, contempt, vanity - such passions can poison a person's life and even bring him to suicide.

Thus, listing all the commandments one after another, the shepherd calls for a detailed examination of the state of mind and check whether it corresponds to the essence of the message.

About brevity

Priests are often asked to confess briefly. This does not mean that there is no need to name some kind of sin. We must try to talk specifically about the sin, but not about the circumstances in which it was committed, without involving third parties who may somehow be involved in the situation, and without describing the details in detail. If repentance occurs in the church for the first time, you can sketch an example of confession on paper, then during the conviction of oneself of sins it will be easier to gather, convey to the priest and, most importantly, to God, absolutely everything noticed, without forgetting anything.

It is recommended to pronounce the name of the sin itself: lack of faith, anger, insult or condemnation. This will be enough to convey what worries and weighs heavily on the heart. “Extracting” the exact sins from oneself is not an easy task, but this is how a short confession is created. An example can be the following: “I sinned: pride, despondency, foul language, little faithful fear, excessive idleness, bitterness, lies, ambition, abandonment of services and rules, irritability, temptation, evil and unclean thoughts, excess in food, laziness. I also repent of those sins that I forgot about and did not say now. "

Confession is undoubtedly a difficult task that requires effort and self-denial. But when a person gets used to the heart's purity and neatness of the soul, he can no longer live without repentance and the sacrament of the sacrament. The Christian does not want to lose the acquired connection with the Almighty and will only strive to strengthen it. It is very important to approach spiritual life not in “jerks”, but gravely, carefully, regularly, to be “faithful in small things,” not forgetting about gratitude to God in absolutely all life situations.

This list is designed for people who are beginning the church life and who want to repent before God. As you prepare for confession, write down the sins that expose your conscience from the list. If there are many of them, you need to start with the most difficult - mortals. You can only take communion with the blessing of a priest. Repentance BEFORE GOD presupposes not an indifferent enumeration of one's bad deeds, but a sincere condemnation of one's sinfulness and a determination to be corrected!

I (name) sinned before GOD: weak faith (doubt in His being). I have neither love nor proper fear for God, therefore I rarely confess and receive communion, (what brought (a) soul up petrified insensibility towards God), Rarely attend church on Sundays and holidays (work, trade, entertainment these days). I don’t know how to repent, I don’t see any sins. I do not remember death and do not prepare to appear at the judgment of God (The memory of death and future judgment helps to avoid sin.)

I have sinned: I do not thank God for His mercies. Not obeying the will of God (I wish everything was my way). I rely on myself and people out of pride, not on God. By attributing success to yourself and not to God. Fear of suffering, impatience of sorrow and disease (they are allowed by God to cleanse the soul from sin). A murmur at the cross of life (fate), at people. Faint-heartedness, despondency, sadness, accusation of cruelty to God, despair of salvation, desire (attempt) to commit suicide.

I have sinned: Being late and leaving church early. Inattention during the service (to reading and singing, talking, laughing, dozing ...). Walking around the temple unnecessarily, pushing and rude. Out of pride, he left the sermon criticizing and condemning the priest. In female impurity, she dared to touch the shrine.

I have sinned: out of laziness I don't read morning and evening prayers (completely from the prayer book), I cut them down. I pray absentmindedly. She prayed with her head uncovered, having dislike for her neighbor. A careless image of the sign of the cross. Not wearing a cross. By the unreliable veneration of St. icons and shrines of the Church. To the detriment of prayer, reading the Gospel, Psalms and spiritual literature, I watched TV (God-fighters through films teach people to violate God's commandment about chastity before marriage, adultery, cruelty, sadism, damage the mental health of young people. Through Harry Potter ... In the media, this lawlessness before God is presented as something positive, in color and romantic form. Christian! Avoid sin and save yourself and your children for Eternity !!!). Faint-hearted silence, when they blasphemed in my presence, shame to be baptized and confess the Lord in public (this is one of the types of denial of Christ). Blaspheme against God and every shrine. Wearing shoes with crosses on the soles. By using newspapers for everyday needs ... where it is written about God ... He called animals by the names of people "Vaska", "Masha". He spoke about God not reverently and without humility.

I have sinned: dared to start Communion without proper preparation (without reading the canons and prayers, concealing and belittling sins in confession, in enmity, without fasting and prayers of thanksgiving ...). Did not spend Holy Communion days (in prayer, reading the Gospel ..., but indulged in entertainment, eating, eating, idle talk ...).

I have sinned: violation of fasts, as well as Wednesday and Friday (By fasting these days, we honor the sufferings of Christ.) I don't (always) pray before meals, work, and after (A prayer of thanks is read after meals and work). Satedness in food and drink, drunkenness. Secret eating, delicacy (sweet tooth). Ate the blood of animals (bloody ...). (Forbidden by God - Leviticus 7,26-27; 17, 13-14, Acts 15, 20-21,29). On the fast day, the festive (memorial) table was modest. Commemorated the dead with vodka (this paganism does not agree with Christianity either).

I have sinned: idle talk (empty talk about everyday vanity ...). By telling and listening to vulgar anecdotes. Condemnation of people, priests and monks (but I don't see my sins). Hearing and retelling gossip and blasphemous anecdotes (about God, the Church and the clergy). (By this a temptation was sown through ME, and the name of God was blasphemed among people). Remembering the name of God in vain (unnecessarily, in empty talk, jokes). Lies, deceit, failure to fulfill the promises given to God (people). Foul language, obscene (this is blasphemy against the Mother of God) swearing with the mention of evil spirits (the evil demons summoned in conversations will harm us). Slander, the spread of bad rumors and gossip, the disclosure of other people's sins and weaknesses. I listened to backbiting with pleasure and agreement. By pride he humiliated his neighbors with ridicule (jokes), stupid jokes ... immoderate laughter, laughter. He laughed at the beggars, the crippled, the grief of others ... God, the false oath, perjury at the trial, the justification of criminals and the condemnation of the innocent.

I have sinned: laziness, not wanting to work (living at the expense of parents) seeking bodily peace, numbness in bed, the desire to enjoy a sinful and luxurious life. ... ... Smoking (among the American Indians, smoking tobacco had a ritual meaning - worship of demon spirits. A smoking Christian - a traitor to God, a demon worshiper and a suicide - is harmful to health). Drug use. Listening to pop and rock music (chanting human passions, arouses base feelings). Addicted to gambling and spectacle (cards, dominoes, computer games, TV, cinemas, discos, cafes, bars, restaurants, casinos ...). (The godless symbolism of cards, when playing or fortune-telling, is designed to blasphemously mock the suffering of Christ the Savior. And games destroy the psyche of children. Shooting and killing, they become aggressive, prone to cruelty and sadism, with all the ensuing consequences for parents).

I have sinned: corrupted my soul by reading and examining (in books, magazines, films ...) erotic shamelessness, sadism, immodest games, (A person corrupted by vices displays the qualities of a demon, not God), dancing, myself (a) danced, (They led to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, after which dancing for Christians is a mockery of the memory of the Prophet). Delight in prodigal dreams and the remembrance of past sins. Not distancing yourself from sinful dating and temptation. Lustful view and liberty (immodesty, hugs, kisses, impure body touch) with persons of the opposite sex. Fornication (sexual intercourse before the wedding). Prodigal perversions (masturbation (masturbation), postures, oral and anal fornication). Sodom sins (homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest (fornication with relatives).

Introducing the temptation of men, she shamelessly dressed in short and with SLITS skirts, trousers, shorts, tight-fitting and see-through clothing, (This violated the commandment of God about the appearance of a woman. She should dress beautifully, but within the framework of Christian shame and conscience. A Christian woman should be an image of God, not a godless, shaved-naked repainted, with a clawed paw instead of a human hand, the image of Satan) she cut her hair, dyed her ... in this form, not respecting the shrine, dared to enter the temple of God. Participation in beauty contests, photo models, masquerades (malanka, driving a goat, hallowin festival ...), and also in dancing with prodigal actions. Was (a) immodest (on) in gestures, body movements, gait. Bathing, sunbathing and nudity in the presence of persons of the opposite sex (contradicts Christian chastity). Seduction to sin. Selling your body, pimping, renting out premises for fornication.

I have sinned: adultery (adultery in marriage). Not a married marriage. Lustful intemperance in a marital relationship (on posts, Sundays, holidays, atpregnancy, in the days of female impurity). Perversions in married life (positions, oral, anal fornication). Wanting to live for his own pleasure and avoiding life's difficulties, he protected himself from conceiving children. Using "contraceptives" (spiral, pills do not interfere with conception, but kill the child at an early stage). Killed my children (abortion). Counseling (coercing) others to abortion (men, with tacit consent, or forcing their wives ... to have an abortion are also infanticides. Doctors who perform abortions are murderers, and assistants are accomplices).

I have sinned: ruined the souls of children, preparing them only for earthly life (did not teach (a) about God and faith, did not instill in them love for church and home prayer, fasting, humility, obedience. Did not develop a sense of duty, honor, responsibility ... are engaged, what they read, with whom they are friends, how they behave). Punished them too harshly ( taking out anger, and not for correction, he called names (a), cursed (a).He tempted children with his sins(and intimate relationships with them, swearing, foul language, watching immoral television programs).

I have sinned: joint prayer or transition to schism (Kyiv Patriarchate, UAOC, Old Believers ...), union, sect. (Prayer with schismatics and heretics leads to excommunication: 10, 65, Apostolic canons). Superstition (faith in dreams, omens ...). Appeal to psychics, "grandmothers" (pouring wax, swinging eggs, draining fear ...). Desecrated himself with urine therapy (in the rituals of Satanists, the use of urine and feces has a blasphemous meaning. Such "treatment" is a vile desecration and devilish mockery of Christians), the use of "spoken" by the sorcerers ... Fortune telling on cards, fortune telling (for what?). He feared sorcerers more than God. Coding (from what?).

Passion for oriental religions, occultism, Satanism (indicate with what). Attending sectarian, occult ... meetings. Doing yoga, meditation, dousing according to Ivanov (It is not the pouring itself that is condemned, but the teaching of Ivanov, which leads to the worship of him and nature, and not God). Eastern martial arts (worship of the spirit of evil, - teachers, and the occult teaching about the disclosure of "internal possibilities" leads to communication with demons, obsession ...).Reading and storage Occult literature banned by the Church: magic, palmistry, horoscopes, dream books, prophecies of Nostradamus, literature of the religions of the East, the teachings of Blavatsky and the Roerichs, Lazarev "Diagnostics of Karma", Andreev "Rose of the World", Aksenov, Klizovsky, Vladimir Megre, Taranov, Svaginazh, Verese Garaffins Makovy, Asaulyak ... (The Orthodox Church warns that the writings of these and other occult authors have nothing in common with the teachings of Christ the Savior. Man through occultism, entering into deep communication with demons, falls away from God and ruins his soul, and mental illness will be the proper retribution for pride and presumptuous flirtation with demons.) Coercion (advice) and others to contact them and do it.

I have sinned: theft, sacrilege (church theft). Love of money (addiction to money and wealth). Non-payment of debts (wages). Greed, avarice for alms and purchase of spiritual books ... (and on a whim and entertainment I do not skimp). Selfishness (using someone else's, living at someone else's expense ...). Wanting to get rich he gave (a) money at interest. Trade in vodka, cigarettes, drugs, contraceptives, immodest clothing, porn ... (by this he helped (a) the demon to destroy himself and people - an accomplice in their sins). I communicated, hung up, passed off a bad product for a good one ...

I have sinned: pride, envy, flattery, deceit, insincerity, hypocrisy, man-pleasing, suspicion, gloating. Forcing others to sin (lie, steal, peep, eavesdrop, inform, drink alcohol ...). The desire for fame, respect, gratitude, praise, primacy ... By doing good for show. Bragging and self-admiration. Flaunting before people (wit, looks, abilities, clothes ...).

I have sinned: disobedience to parents, elders and bosses, insulting them. Whims, stubbornness, contradiction, self-will, self-justification. Laziness to study. Careless caring for elderly parents, relatives ... (left them unattended, food, money, medicine ..., handed them over to a nursing home ...).

I have sinned: pride, resentment, rancor, hot temper, anger, vindictiveness, hatred, irreconcilable hostility. Insolence and audacity (climbed (la) out of line, pushed (las). Cruelty to animals. Abused family members, was the cause of family scandals. Not carrying out joint work on raising children and maintaining the economy, parasitism, drinking money, handing over children to an orphanage ... (professional sport damages health and develops pride, vanity, a sense of superiority, contempt, a thirst for enrichment in the soul ...), for fame, money, robbery (racketeering). Rough treatment of neighbors, causing harm to them (what?). Assault, beatings, murder. Not protecting the weak, beaten, women from violence ... Violation of traffic rules, drunk driving ... (which endangered people's lives).

I have sinned: careless attitude to work (public office). I used my social position (talents ...) not for the glory of God and the benefit of people, but for personal gain. Oppression of subordinates. Giving and accepting (extortion) bribes (which could lead to harm to public and private tragedies). Plundered state and collective property. Having a leading position, he did not care about the suppression of teaching immoral subjects in schools, not Christian customs (corrupting the morality of the people). He did not provide assistance in the spread of Orthodoxy and suppression of the influence of sects, sorcerers, psychics ... (which contributed to the destruction of the souls of people). He did not defend church relics, did not provide assistance in the construction and repair of churches and monasteries ...

Laziness to any good deed (did not visit lonely, sick, prisoners ...). I did not consult with the priest and elders in matters of life (which led to irreparable errors). Gave advice, not knowing if it was pleasing to God. With a passionate love for people, things, occupations ... He tempted others with his sins.

I justify my sins by everyday needs, illness, weakness, and that no one has taught us to believe in God (but we ourselves were not interested in this). He seduced people into unbelief. Attended the mausoleum, atheistic events ...

Cold and unfeeling confession. I sin deliberately, trampling on a convicting conscience. There is no firm determination to correct your sinful life. I confess that I have offended the Lord with my sins, I sincerely regret it and will try to correct myself.

Indicate other sins with which he sinned (a).

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Note! As for the possible temptation from the sins cited here, it is true that fornication is abhorrent, and it must be spoken about carefully. The Apostle Paul says: "Fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness should not even be named among you" (Eph. 5: 3). However, through television, magazines, advertising ... he entered the life of even the youngest so much that prodigal sins are not considered a sin by many. Therefore, it is necessary to speak about this in confession and call everyone to repentance and correction.

Isn't it time for all of us to learn how to confess correctly? - the staff of the portal "Orthodox Life" decidedly and did not hesitate to ask the confessor of the Kiev theological schools, the teacher of the KDA, Archimandrite Markell (Pavuk).

Photo: Boris Gurevich fotokto.ru

- A large number of people do not know what to repent of. Many go to confession and are silent, waiting for leading questions from the priests. Why is this happening and what should an Orthodox Christian repent of?

- Usually people do not know what to repent of, for several reasons:

1. They lead a scattered life (busy with thousands of things), and they have no time to deal with themselves, look into their souls and see what is wrong there. Such people in our time, 90%, if not more.

2. Many suffer from high self-esteem, that is, they are proud, and therefore are more inclined to notice and condemn other people's sins and shortcomings than their own.

3. Neither their parents, nor teachers, nor priests taught them what and how to repent.

And an Orthodox Christian should repent first of all in what his conscience denounces. It is best to build a confession according to the Ten Commandments of God. That is, during Confession, first we need to talk about what we have sinned against God (these can be the sins of unbelief, lack of faith, superstition, God, oaths), then repent of sins against our neighbors (disrespect, inattention to parents, disobedience to them, deception, cunning, condemnation, anger against neighbors, hostility, arrogance, pride, vanity, avarice, theft, seducing others to sin, fornication, etc.). I advise you to familiarize yourself with the book "To help the penitent", compiled by St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). In the work of Elder John Krestyankin, a sample of confession according to the Ten Commandments of God is presented. Focusing on these works, you can make your own informal confession.

- How much detail should you tell about your sins in confession?

- It all depends on the degree of your repentance for your sins. If a person in his heart has found the determination to no longer return to this or that sin, then he tries to uproot it and therefore describes everything to the smallest detail. And if a person repents formally, then he gets something like: "I sinned in deed, in word, in thought." The exception to this rule is the sins of fornication. In this case, there is no need to describe the details. If the priest feels that a person is indifferent even to such sins, then he can ask additional questions in order to shame at least a little such a person and move him to true repentance.

- If you do not feel light after confession, what does it mean?

- This may indicate that there was no genuine repentance, the confession was performed without contrition of the heart, but only with a formal enumeration of sins with an unwillingness to change your life and not sin anymore. True, sometimes the Lord does not immediately give a feeling of lightness, so that a person does not become proud and immediately fall into the same sins again. Ease also does not immediately come if a person confesses old, deeply rooted sins. For lightness to come, many tears of repentance must be shed.

- If you were in confession at Vespers, and after the service you managed to sin, do you need to go to confession again in the morning?

- If these are prodigal sins, anger or drunkenness, then it is imperative to repent of them once again and even ask the priest for penance, so as not to commit old sins so quickly. If sins of a different kind are committed (condemnation, laziness, verbosity), then during the evening or morning prayer rule, you should sincerely ask the Lord for forgiveness for the wrongdoings, and at the next confession, confess them.

- If in confession I forgot to mention some sin, and then after a while I remembered it, do I need to go up to the priest again and talk about it?

- If there is such an opportunity and the priest is not very busy, then he will even rejoice for your diligence, and if there is no such opportunity, then you need to write down this sin so as not to forget it again, and repent of it during the next confession.

- How to learn to see your sins?

- A person begins to see his sins when he stops condemning other people. In addition, to see one's own weakness, as the Monk Simeon the New Theologian writes, is taught by careful fulfillment of the commandments of God. As long as a person does one thing and neglects the other, he will not be able to feel the wound that sins inflict on his soul.

- What to do with the feeling of shame in confession, with the desire to shade, hide your sin? Will this hidden sin be forgiven by God?

- Shame in confession is a natural feeling that testifies that a person's conscience is alive. It is worse when there is no shame. But the main thing is that shame should not reduce our confession to a formality, when we confess one thing and hide the other. It is unlikely that the Lord will please such a confession. And every priest always feels when a person is hiding something and formalizes his confession. For him, this child ceases to be dear, the kind for which he is always ready to pray earnestly. And, conversely, regardless of the severity of the sin, the deeper the repentance, the more the priest rejoices for the repentant. Not only the priest, but also the Angels in heaven rejoice for a sincerely repentant person.

- Do I need to confess the sin that you will commit one hundred percent in the near future? How to Hate Sin?

- The Holy Fathers teach that the greatest sin is unrepentant sin. Even if we do not feel within ourselves the strength to fight against sin, we still need to resort to the Sacrament of Repentance. With God's help, if not immediately, then gradually we will be able to overcome the sin that is rooted in us. But don't overestimate yourself too much. If we lead the right spiritual life, we can never feel completely sinless. The fact is that we are all comfortable, that is, we very easily fall into all kinds of sins, no matter how many times we repent of them. Each of our confessions is a kind of shower (bath) for the soul. If we constantly take care of the purity of our body, then all the more we need to take care of the purity of our soul, which is much more precious than the body. So, no matter how many times we sin, we must not hesitate to run to confession. And if a person does not repent of repeated sins, then they will entail other, more serious offenses. For example, someone is used to deceiving on trifles all the time. If he does not repent of this, then in the end he can not only deceive, but also betray other people. Remember what happened to Judas. At first, he stealthily stole money from the donation box, and then betrayed Christ Himself.

A person can hate sin only when he fully feels the sweetness of God's grace. As long as the feeling of grace in a person is weak, it is difficult for him not to fall into the sin of which he recently repented. The sweetness of sin in such a person is stronger than the sweetness of grace. That is why the holy fathers and especially the Monk Seraphim of Sarov insist that the main goal of Christian life should be the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

- If a priest tore up a note with sins without looking into it, are these sins considered forgiven?

- If a priest is perspicacious and knows how to read what is written in a note without looking into it, then, thank God, all sins are forgiven. If the priest does this because of his haste, indifference and inattention, then it is better to go to confession to another or, if there is no such opportunity, to confess your sins out loud, without writing them down.

- Is there a common confession in the Orthodox Church? How should we relate to this practice?

- General confession, during which special prayers from the Trebnik are read, is usually carried out before individual confession. The holy righteous John of Kronstadt practiced general confession without individual confession, but he did it by force because of the multitude of people who came to him for consolation. Physically, due to human weakness, he did not have enough strength to listen to everyone. In Soviet times, such confessions were also sometimes practiced, when one temple was for an entire city or district. Nowadays, when the number of churches and clergy has increased significantly, there is no need to dispense with one general confession without an individual one. We are ready to listen to everyone, if only there is sincere repentance.

Interviewed by Natalia Goroshkova