How to Prepare for Confession

The very name "sacrament of confession" says that something intimate is happening at the same time, something that reveals the secret moments of life to which one prefers not to return. Because many confessions are afraid and try to avoid it. But most people sooner or later have a need to clear their conscience, reconcile themselves with God and with themselves. And then a natural question arises: how to prepare for confession correctly. After all, the more sins that the person does not repent, the thicker the wall becomes between him and the Creator. Deed gradually destroys the soul. Man ceases to love people, there is fear, irritability, nervousness, anger, anger. Developing depression, depression, there is a desire for suicide, bad predilections. In the end, the body becomes ill. A person would be happy to help his soul, but does not know how?

Prepare for confession at home, realizing your sins, lamenting your heart for them. But this purification is not exhausted. It is truly accomplished only through the mediation of a priest.

Self-determination of one's inner spiritual state and discovering the sins of an inexperienced person is very difficult. As a sample of how to prepare for confession, a list of sins, you can use the work of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, applying it to the conditions of modern times.

Not all priests welcome reading on the "paper". But nevertheless, it is acceptable, since it is not possible to prepare for a confession that begins in a different way. True, one condition must be observed: sins are read out completely and sincerely, and not formally, or the note is simply transmitted silently to the priest. It is unacceptable. If the confessor finds it necessary, he can ask about something else. This is especially important for the person who came for the first time and has some difficulties. After the confession, the leaf with the sins written out must necessarily be destroyed.

An experienced, perspicacious priest will always pay attention to the fact that the penitent needs a deeper awareness of the source of his sins and repentance. Then he imposes penance on him for the purpose of education - church punishment in the form of bows, prayers, observance of the strictest fasting. In this case, even sins are released after the believer has performed penance. Only the spiritual father who imposed it can release him.

How to prepare for a confession common, practiced in the church, when the priest lets go of all the penitents, not listening to each individually? It would seem that you can not especially worry and not be afraid. That's why it looks tempting for people who never resorted to individual confession and consider the general enough. But this is not so, just for them such repentance can not be considered valid. Only those believers can approach him, who often take communion and have no mortal sins.

Confession must necessarily precede communion, and therefore, and be accompanied by fasting, the duration and severity of which is determined by the content of sins and the church calendar.

How often should we confess and receive communion? A layman is enough four times a year - during each fast. In posts before Christmas and Easter it is possible and two times. But this does not absolve the believer from constant internal ordering and bringing to perfection his soul and spirit.

Preliminary preparation for confession and participle of children must begin at the age of seven. According to the customs of the Church, infants after their baptism and up to seven years are considered innocent. During this period they can take communion very often, literally every day. But, already from the age of seven, children must prepare for confession and learn to commune on an empty stomach.