A Catechism on Confession

When preparing to go to confession, every Orthodox Christian should = try to=20 remember all the sins that he has committed, whether voluntary or = involuntary,=20 and should examine his life in detail. If there are sins that were = committed=20 before his last confession, but which he then forgot to confess, he = should=20 mention these also.=20

When you come to confession, you should confess your sins sincerely,=20 remembering that you are not confessing them to the priest, but to God = Himself,=20 Who already knows, but wants you to admit your wrongs and your guilt. = You should=20 not feel embarrassed before yourspiritual father, because, being a man = like=20 yourself, he knows human weaknesses and the inclination that all people = have=20 towards sin, and thus he cannot judge you harshly when you come to = confession.=20 But maybe you are embarrassed to confess your sins before your spiritual = father=20 because you are afraid of losing his good opinion? On the contrary, if = you value=20 his good opinion, you should understand that he will respect you all the = more=20 for the sincerity of your confession. Also, if you are ashamed and = afraid to lay=20 bare your sins before your spiritual father, how will you bear it when = at the=20 Dread Judgment your sins=97if you have not been freed of them by true=20 repentance=97will be revealed before God Himself, His angels, and all = mankind,=20 both people you know and strangers? If you remember this, you will want = to free=20 yourself from your sins and from the punishment that they bring upon = you, and=20 will confess them in all sincerity before your spiritual father. You = should hide=20 nothing wrong that you have done, but at the same time you should not = add=20 anything extra, and not blame yourself for what you have not done by = simply=20 saying, =93Everything I have done is sinful,=94 or some such = catch-phrase. Nor=20 should you admit every sin you are asked about whether you have done it = or not,=20 as some people mistakenly think they should Your confession must be = realistic=20 and therefore true.=20

Another reason why you should not simply say, =93I have sinned in = everything,=20 word, deed, and thought, and by omission,=94 without giving further = details, is=20 because your spiritual father needs to know exactly what you have done = in order=20 to give you good advice. Also such a short, undetailed confession means = that you=20 are avoiding what confession is intended to achieve, i. e. to bring you = to admit=20 what you have done and to admit that you were wrong in doing it. Your = spiritual=20 father already knows that you are a sinner, for no man is without sin; = even the=20 holy Apostle Paul described himself as the =93chief of sinners.=94 Each = sin must be=20 mentioned in turn, just as you would enumerate all your symptoms to a = doctor.=20 You should not just think of a couple of main trends to =93discuss,=94 = and neglect=20 to mention the innumerable other sins.=20

Do not mention the sins of others in your confession, unless this is=20 necessary for your spiritual father to understand how and why you = yourself have=20 sinned. If you have a personal problem involving other people, which you = would=20 like to discuss with your spiritual father, or if you are in need of = advice or=20 some consolation for some unkindness that has been done to you, make an=20 appointment to see your spiritual father at some other time. Also, do = not use=20 the fact that many people commit some sin that you have committed as an = excuse=20 for it. Still less say =93but everyone does that.=94 For one thing, you = have come to=20 confess your own sins, not those of others. How can you be sure that = without=20 exception every human being commits any given sin? Or even though you = might know=20 of their sin, how can you be sure they have not repented of it in their = heart?=20 Pay no heed to the sins of others. Oftentimes we imagine the motives and = intentions and sinful inclinations of others, for no man knows the heart = of=20 another.=20

Confess your sins fully but concisely; one does not have to make a = story of=20 them! That in itself can be an evidence of pride. Particularly regarding = carnal=20 sins, do not go into detailed descriptions of sin. If your spiritual = father=20 feels that you need to confess any particular sin in fuller detail, he = will ask=20 you about it, and then you should not hesitate to describe it fully and = to=20 answer all his questions.=20

Before going to confession make a thorough preparation, and examine = your life=20 so that you recognize your sins. If you wish you can write out a list, = or keep a=20 list day by day. In order to check your sins, it is wise to check them = against=20 some list. One can use the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, or the list = of sins=20 in the prayer of daily confession of sins read before going to sleep = each day,=20 or that in the prayer at the end of the Canon to the Guardian Angel in = the=20 Prayer Book. Such checking against a list is very beneficial, otherwise = one=20 tends to remember only the most serious sins, or the most noticeable or = most=20 extraordinarily, and to forget, perhaps deliberately, the underlying = ones, the=20 ones that have become habitual, and the things that we have forgotten = even to=20 remember as sins because they have become so much a part of our life. = Sins of=20 neglect, omission, and laziness often fall into this category, as do the = ones=20 that are seemingly respectable: pride, vanity, etc.=20

Do not try to make excuses for your sins, for the more that you = justify=20 yourself, the less forgiveness you will receive. It is important that = you=20 yourself should fully realize how wrong each sin you have committed = is=97and the=20 more you understand the wrongfulness of any sin, the easier it will be = for you=20 to make an effort of will to avoid committing it in the future. However, = you may=20 mention if there is any special circumstance, such as some particular = temptation=20 or outside pressure, that it would be useful for your spiritual father = to know,=20 so that he can advise you how to deal with it.=20

It is important not to overlook any sin, but to mention all the sins = that you=20 have committed.=20

If you are asked whether you have committed a particular sin, it is = not good=20 enough to reply, =93I can=92t remember.=94 This is, of course, much less = likely to=20 happen if you go to confession regularly. It is good at the end of your=20 confession to admit that there may be other sins which you have = forgotten or=20 have not realized that you have committed=97such a sin might be by a = careless word=20 or action which has upset someone and perhaps caused them to sin.=20

Unless your spiritual father asks you about them, do not mention sins = that=20 you have not committed, nor good deeds that you have done. If you are = asked=20 whether you have committed some sin and have not, simply say =93No.=94 = Do not say,=20 =93I have committed no serious sins,=94 because this means that you do = not realize=20 how sinful what you have done is, and how sinful your insensitivity is.=20

Also do not be insensitive to the feelings and weaknesses of others,=20 including your spiritual father. If you have not confessed for some = time, or=20 have some particular difficulty and are likely to need a long = confession, try=20 not to come on the eve of a great feast or when there will be many other = people=20 going to confession, but come on a day when there are likely to be few, = or make=20 a special arrangement with the priest. Also, unless it is otherwise = completely=20 impossible (because, for instance, you live far from the church), do not = come=20 for confession either immediately before the Divine Liturgy (when the = priest=20 will be preparing the gifts) or during the service, when you will cause = the=20 entire congregation to wait while your confession is heard.=20

If after your confession you are hoping to receive a blessing to = partake of=20 the Holy Mysteries, it is best to come for the confession after the = evening=20 service on the previous night.=20

You must be truly sorry for the sins you have committed. Unless you = really=20 regret having done them, and intend to try to avoid them in the future, = you lack=20 true penitence, without which your sins are not forgiven.=20

It is also necessary to confess with faith in Jesus Christ and to = trust in=20 His mercy. Only if we believe and trust in Jesus Christ can we receive = remission=20 of our sins. Judas Iscariot, for example, repented of his sin, not = before one=20 man, but before all, and he returned the pieces of silver. But instead = of=20 believing in Jesus Christ and trusting in His mercy, he fell into = despair and,=20 receiving no remission, he died a terrible death. Thus, in addition to = careful=20 confession and true repentance, faith and hope are essential for the = salvation=20 of a sinner.=20

Penances =97 Their Nature and Purpose

Penance is a form of discipline or a prohibition administered by the = priest=20 (in accordance with the canons or laws of the Church) to those repentant = Christians for whom it is necessary, much as a doctor prescribes a = suitable=20 medicine or treatment. It is a form of treatment for a moral sickness. = Examples=20 of penances are: fasting over and above what is required of all Orthodox = Christians, special prayers of repentance with prostrations, reading = books which=20 will help in overcoming one=92s weakness, and the performance of=92 good = works.=20

Penances are not given to all who come to confession, but only to = those who,=20 by the nature or seriousness of their sins, require this special = medicine. An=20 example of this is St. Paul=92s excommunication of a Christian of the = Church of=20 Corinth for incest; then, because of his penitence, he received him back = into=20 the Church (11 Cor. 2:6-8).=20

Although penance would seem to be a punishment, its purpose is not to = make=20 retribution for sins, to pay back a debt, but is rather corrective, = medicinal,=20 and instructive=97to cure the sinner from his sinful habits, to instruct = him=20 regarding both the harmful nature of what he has been doing, and ways to = change=20 his life, so that he shall not repeat his sin. Penance is intended to = deepen and=20 increase the penitent=92s regret for what he has done, and to strengthen = the=20 desire of his will for correction. The Apostle says, =93For godly sorrow = worketh=20 repentance to salvation not to be repented of=94 (II Cor. 7:10). This is = upheld by=20 the canons of the Ecumenical Councils and the teaching of the Fathers, = who=20 describe penance as a means of spiritual treatment to cure the diseases = of the=20 soul. The 102nd canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council says: =93The = character of a=20 sin must be considered from all points and conversion expected. And so = let mercy=20 be meted out.=94=20

Moral Guidance or =93The Opening of One=92s Thoughts=94

It is necessary to distinguish between the mystery of confession = itself, and=20 the moral guidance of a spiritual father in =93the opening of = thoughts=94 which is=20 still used, especially in some monastic communities, but is something = quite=20 different from confession. The telling of one=92s thoughts and actions = before a=20 spiritual elder, from whom one seeks moral guidance, has a vast = psychological=20 significance. It is very useful for moral training, the correction of = bad=20 inclinations and habits, and the overcoming of doubts and = indecisiveness. In=20 some monasteries this is practiced daily, but it is not a course to be = entered=20 upon lightly. Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov says, =93An indispensable = condition of=20 such submission is a Spirit-bearing guide, who by the will of the Spirit = can=20 mortify the fallen will of the person subject to him in the Lord, and = can=20 mortify all the passions as well.=94 And he issues dire warnings about = heeding=20 =93Elders=94 falsely so-called. Nonetheless, some writers (notably Prof. = Andreyev)=20 suggest that some form of =93opening of the thoughts=94 can form part of = Christian=20 family life, so that husband and wife open their thoughts to each other = each=20 day. Of course such a practice is far removed from the spiritual = discipline of=20 Eldership of which Bishop Ignatius writes. Either way, this type of = spiritual=20 guidance, although very beneficial when rightly ordered, does not have = the=20 significance of a mystery or grace-bearing Church rite like confession, = which is=20 why confession itself, the sacrament of penitence, can take place only = before a=20 priest.=20

Reprinted from The Shepherd, published by the Brotherhood of St. = Edward the=20 Martyr, London, England.=20