We cannot atone for our sins, but we have hope. The Lord Jesus Christ says that He came precisely to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:45).
The main thing is not human sins and infirmities in themselves; the main thing - and the first, and the most important thing - is that we are first of all members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ, and only then - sick, weak, powerless, sinful, whatever. The main thing is that, as in all spiritual life, so in repentance, in its center, in the first, main place, He should be - and not some kind of me with my alleged super-sinfulness.
Christ made atonement for our sins at Calvary; we are called to receive His gift through repentance and faith. The Lord founded the Church and established the Sacraments in it - special actions through which He frees us from sins and gives us strength for a new life. Therefore, we just need to come to the Church and bring our sins to confession. The Word of God firmly promises us that if we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Only Christ can cleanse our sins.
Atonement for sin through prayer can make a spiritual person. To do this, you need to remember your life and your sinful adventures. So you found a case and illuminated it with your consciousness, what it is and how to evaluate your thoughts and actions. If you see your sin and condemn it with repentance, then the sin is immediately atoned for and you ascend in the spirit and your path changes.
Commemoration at the Divine Liturgy (Church note)
Those who have health are remembered christian names, and about the repose - only those baptized in the Orthodox Church.
Notes can be submitted to the liturgy:
At the proskomidia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins
Sin is not just some kind of immoral act, it is primarily a violation of the law of God, the laws of spiritual life established by the Creator Himself, lawlessness (1 John 3:4), or, in other words, sin is a violation of the will of God. Sin did not come from God and not from nature, but from the abuses of the mind and will of its rational beings, about their arbitrary deviation from God, about replacing his holy will with their own, from self-will. The first violator of His will was Lucifer, one of the rank of the Archangel. Now he is Satan, that is, the enemy of God. Therefore, the commission of sin is a conscious or unconscious opposition to God, and one must avoid sin in every possible way, making an effort to do so. That original, natural sin, which infected the nature of the first parents, and therefore being hereditary, as long as carnal humanity exists, is the cause for the personal sins of everyone. That is why the Lord said, “There is no man who has not sinned.” Thus, the personal sins of each person come from a damaged human nature, under the influence of outside world who "lies in evil," and from the devil. In the case of committing a sin, be sure to repent in order to again become closer to your Creator and Savior, the eternal Defender and Leader.
The Lord forgives us all sins, except for mortal sin. Mortal sin is stubborn impenitence, when the sinner in his bitterness comes to the point that he cannot repent with all his heart. And even if someone was terribly guilty before God, he can, with humility, bow down before Him, bring repentance. Repentance is the basic background of all our Christian life. Saint Ephraim the Syrian left us the right prayer: "grant me to see my transgressions." Again and again: to see one's sin is a spiritual act, of extremely great value for all who seek the Face of the Living God. Moreover, this act is the action in us of God Himself, who is light. Unfortunately, very few people comprehend the true nature of sin in their hearts. Usually they stand at the level of human morality, and if they ever rise above it, it is still not enough (and morality itself, if necessary, can be changed ...) Great ascetics, when they confessed, they accused themselves of every evil, because they did not find such a sin that was not created even by a momentary touch of the mind. And no one can be sure that he is beyond the power of thoughts that visit him. So, to the extent of our ability to see ourselves, we need to confess our sins so as not to take them with us at death.
Indestructible Psalter
The indestructible Psalter is read not only about health, but also about repose. From ancient times, the ordering of a commemoration on the Unsleeping Psalter is considered a great almsgiving for the departed soul.
It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself, support will be vividly felt. And one more crucial point, but by no means the least important
There is an eternal commemoration on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than a million times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.
All our earthly life, from birth to the last breath, in its final result, it is possible to see and evaluate in one moment. Imagine a vessel of perfectly pure glass, full of water; at first glance, you can tell whether the water is pure or not, and how much. So it will be with us on the transition to another world. Every movement of thought, even a fleeting one, leaves its mark on the general quality of our life.
Suppose that during the entire period of my earthly existence only once an evil thought ran through my heart, for example, murder. And this single thought will remain a dark spot on the body of my life if it is not cast out through repentant self-condemnation. Nothing can be hidden: “There is nothing hidden that would not be revealed, and secret that would not be known” (Luke 12: 2-3). And for every evil thought, we will be tormented in ordeals, the result of which is an intermediate judgment: the soul will either go to God, or, pushing away from God, will move “into outer darkness”, to endless torment.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Through sincere repentance with resolute self-condemnation before God and people, the inner man is purified, and the water in the vessel, passed through the spiritual filter of repentance, is restored to its purity. But whoever does not repent becomes an enemy of the Church. Just as rotten branches fall from a tree, so do unrepentant sinners fall away from the head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the vine, and we are the twigs that feed on life. Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) says: “Sometimes they come to me for confession and say: we have no sins. I ask you, do you go to Church, do you pray? It turns out, no, they don't go, they don't pray. And they do not recognize sins for themselves: they say, we do good, we bring benefits. Then I ask such people: are these chairs useful? - yes, they do, - and earthworms do good? - Yes, good. - Are the chairs alive? - Dead. - What about spiritual worms? - Not. Here you are like these chairs or those worms ... "
What are we to repent? First, in their own sins; secondly, in the sins to which we have led our neighbors through inducement, temptation, or a bad example; thirdly, that they did not do the good deeds that they could have done; fourthly, that they were taken away from the good deeds of their neighbors; fifthly, that the good deeds themselves were done with sin in half. And in all such matters one must ask one's conscience. Consciousness of one's sins and self-reproach in them are the first steps on the path of repentance.
Sorokousty is a prayer service that is performed by the Church daily for forty days. Every day during this period, particles are removed from the prosphora.
The elder Schema-Archimandrite Zosima noted that the entire history of mankind is measured in "weeks and forties." “For forty days Christ appeared to his disciples, staying on earth until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The holy feast is the fortieth day of the Ascension of the Lord. Easter, everything goes by magpies, weeks and magpies. And the history of mankind also goes by weeks and magpies. Sorokousts are ordered for health, especially for seriously ill patients.
Sometimes it seems difficult to draw a line where sin begins. What is the difference, say, between curiosity and inquisitiveness, between indifference and dispassion, between fashion and custom? In such cases, the easiest way to find out the differences is in opposites. Curiosity is opposed to restraint and modesty, curiosity - stupidity and laziness. Indifference is opposed by sympathy and responsiveness, dispassion - nervousness and fuss. To neglect fashion means to preserve chastity, freedom and independence of taste. To neglect custom is to be proud of oneself and to despise people. Reflecting on other similar qualities, one can learn to determine the boundaries of moral and spiritual behavior.
Some people consider a small sin to be a big one, but they hardly think about grave and great sins. So, for every pancake in fasting, they are ready to shake themselves, and insults and condemnations of their neighbor, killing him in the eyes of others, are considered almost nothing.
Before we go to confession, we must forgive everyone everything. Forgive without delay, now, and never remember insults! Live as if they never existed. We must be reconciled to all our neighbors. Only then can we hope to receive forgiveness from the Lord.
To repent means to feel lies, madness, the weight of one's sins in one's heart; it means to realize that they offended by them their Creator, Lord, Father and Benefactor, infinitely holy and infinitely abhorring sins; means with all my heart to desire correction and smoothing over them. And just as we sin with all the powers of the soul, so repentance must be whole-hearted. Repentance only in words, without the intention of correction and without feelings of contrition, is called hypocritical. And the coldness of the heart in confession, as in prayer, is from the devil, he is the coldness of the hellish abyss.
Sometimes it is difficult and painful to reveal all your shameful deeds and thoughts to the confessor without concealment, sometimes it is painful, ashamed and humiliating. But we must overcome this last demonic barrier of false modesty on the path of salvation by reading the “Mercy Door” and the Creed. Otherwise, the wound will remain unhealed and will undermine mental health, remaining a putrid leaven for subsequent sins. For the same reason, confession should not be postponed. Say, it is said, your iniquities, and do not be silent about them, but be justified. The culprit of sin must always be recognized as one's own evil will. Let's not be ashamed of tears in confession. If a person burst into tears, it means that he has reconciled himself, the proud and proud do not cry.
Some Christians, out of shame, cowardice, fear, hide their sins from their confessor. By doing so, they cause great spiritual harm to themselves. Through concealed sins, the devil continues to rule over the soul of the sinner. The grace of God does not heal such a soul. No wonder the priestly prayer at confession says: "If you hide something from me, you will have a double sin."
A prayer service is a special Divine service in which they ask the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints to send down mercy or thank God for receiving blessings. In the temple, prayers are performed daily, except for the time of Great Lent, at the end of the liturgy. On Sunday, after the early liturgy, a prayer service is performed with the blessing of water, that is, a small blessing of the water takes place. Such prayers belong to private worship and are performed at the request and needs of individual believers. Public prayers are performed on the days of temple holidays, on New Year, before the beginning of the teaching of the youths, in rainlessness, etc. Can also be ordered thanksgiving service Savior on behalf of a person or several people who give thanks to the Lord.
A pure confession destroys unrighteousness, turns away from sin, protects from evil, affirms in goodness, strengthens against temptations, maintains vigilance, keeps the commandments of God on the path, strengthens against temptations, pours holy peace into the soul, multiplies the desire for pious life and makes a person purer and more perfect day by day.
Some may think that according to everything that has been said, you can sin as much as you want, and then you will repent - that's all. But such a thought is a delusion of the devil. The great sacrament of repentance and the mercy of God do not at all give grounds for a sinful life, “for if, having received the knowledge of the truth, we sin willfully, then there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:26). Whoever, in the hope of repentance, allows himself to sin arbitrarily and intentionally, acts insidiously towards God. The sinner voluntarily and intentionally in the hope of eternal repentance, forgiveness, is suddenly struck by death, and no time is given to him, like a liar, for supposed virtues. “Wash, cleanse; remove your evil deeds from my eyes,” the Lord calls, “cease to do evil; learn to do good, seek the truth, save the oppressed, protect the orphan, intercede for the widow. Then come and let us reason, says the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; if they are red like purple, they will be as white as a wave. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the earth; but if you deny and persist, the sword will devour you: for the mouth of the Lord speaks” (Isaiah 1:16-20). To sin, hoping for God's mercy, is "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit", that is, an unforgivable sin.
Likewise, those who say: “Let us sin in youth, and repent in old age,” will be deceived and will be ridiculed by demons. As willfully sinners, they will not be rewarded with repentance, they will die without confession.
The consequences of a sinful life are blindness of the mind, bitterness, insensitivity of the heart: “My iniquities exceeded my head, like a heavy burden they weighed down on me” (Ps. 37:5). What is the consequence of such sinfulness? “My heart has left me” (Ps. 39:13). The mind of an inveterate sinner sees neither good nor evil - his heart loses the ability to spiritual sensations, his conscience is literally burned. When, with the help of God's grace, many of his sins are revealed to a person, then it is impossible that he would not be extremely perplexed by such a spectacle of his life. Through the cutting off of sins at confession, a person wakes up, his conscience is cleared, which is felt even physically, by the body; the human brain clears up, the soul becomes joyful. In one of the temples of Perm, there was even a case of healing the back of a bent old woman immediately after confession. She, having moved ten meters away from the lectern, suddenly turned sharply and ran back to the priest: “Father, my back has stopped hurting!” she almost screamed. And everyone in the temple began to be touched, as the Lord clearly showed the healing of the sacrament of confession.
A church note filed “about health” or “for repose”, along with candles, is the most massive and common church appeal of people to the Lord, the Virgin and saints
At the proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins commemorated, particular. Usually such notes are read by clergy and clergy before the Holy See; On the litany - a commemoration for all to hear. It is usually performed by a deacon. At the end of the liturgy, these notes in many churches are commemorated a second time, on trebs. You can also submit a note for a prayer service or memorial service.
But dear readers! Please don’t think that the Church is focusing us on the concepts of “should” and “shouldn’t”, that the Church, like a kind of corral, slams the door behind us - and that’s all, now there are only fasts and rules, obedience and cutting off everything that is possible. The church is the house of God in which human soul grows and develops. The purpose of this life is to become a partaker of Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven in joy and peace. The path to God is long, the whole life. In the spiritual life of every person, regardless of age, there is childhood, adolescence, maturity. And you need to "grow", improve gradually, albeit with compulsion of the will (as in any business), which actually proves love for God. You just need to remember that spiritual growth is the main business of life, a spiritual guideline in any field of life. We must remember the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, which frees people from the torment of sins and the bitter captivity of the elements of this world, that only in the Church does a person find true freedom.
Repentance presupposes not just the awareness of sin, but precisely sin before God. And this is very important. All the feelings that penitential practice offers us to go through: self-reproach, humility, seeing ourselves as the worst of all, fear of punishment, and so on. - in their true sense, they should be not just human feelings, emotions, movements of the soul, heart, mind - but precisely religious feelings, and positively religious ones at that. That is, they are true and correct only when they are performed in God, before Him, in the context of Him and the Church. joint action our soul and the grace of God - co-creation, synergy - but by no means on their own. I draw your attention to this, for here is the root of all religious errors. Self-reproach is not to convince yourself: I am a freak and a nonentity. Humility is not a complex of guilt and one's own inferiority, in the language of psychology. Repentance is not self-reproach, not at all. I repeat, these are positive religious feelings, that is, they mean: there is a God, He is Love and Mercy; He is my Savior, it is mine, all good and good is all His. Mine - indeed, passions and weaknesses; but in spite of them, He gave me such a gift in the Church - to live by Him, His goodness, goodness and perfection; and I am a member of His Body, I live by Him and do not want to live by myself, by my passions. And for the sake of this, and only this - to live by Him, I do everything: I repent, and I pray, and I abstain, and I struggle with sin, and so on and so forth, which the Church prescribes, - in order to seek Christ, to be with Him, so that by His grace we can make up for our weakness. And not for the sake of simply stating every hour that I am a sinner, not in order to eat myself up. This is what happens in repentance.
And humility is the feeling that God loves me immeasurably, and all others, and we are the same before Him - equally weak and sick, and I, perhaps, more than others; but He accepts us all, heals, nourishes, supports, comforts, admonishes us with great love and mercy, like a mother to a child; and everything is ours before Him, even something good and good - nothing, zero, dust and ashes. This is humility and self-reproach. And all these repentant feelings should bring into the human soul not despondency and despair, not an inferiority complex, which always happens when we deprive repentance of the church context, but - precisely because these are spiritual movements of the soul - the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is not ecstasy, not pink exaltation, not bloody fever - the grace of the Holy Spirit is witnessed in the soul by a subtle, peaceful, joyful, humble, quiet, cool, truly spiritual feeling that gives a person peace, love and freedom - and, as it were, gathers a person into something whole, into what it should be according to God's plan.
Church trebs in Orthodox churches in Jerusalem
Sorokoust about repose
Indestructible Psalter
church note
How to forgive your sins | We cannot atone for our sins, but we have hope. The Lord Jesus Christ says that He came precisely to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:45). The main thing is not human sins and infirmities in themselves; the main thing - and the first, and the most important thing - is that we are first of all members of the Church, members of the Body of Christ, and only then - sick, weak, powerless, sinful, whatever. The main thing is that, as in all spiritual life, so in repentance, in its center, in the first, main place, He should be - and not some kind of me with my alleged super-sinfulness. Christ made atonement for our sins at Calvary; we are called to receive His gift through repentance and faith. The Lord founded the Church and established the Sacraments in it - special actions through which He frees us from sins and gives us strength for a new life. Therefore, we just need to come to the Church and bring our sins to confession. The Word of God firmly promises us that if we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Only Christ can cleanse our sins. Atonement for sin through prayer can make a spiritual person. To do this, you need to remember your life and your sinful adventures. So you found a case and illuminated it with your consciousness, what it is and how to evaluate your thoughts and actions. If you see your sin and condemn it with repentance, then the sin is immediately atoned for and you ascend in the spirit and your path changes. Commemoration on Divine Liturgy (Church note) Those who have Christian names are commemorated of health, and only those baptized in the Orthodox Church are commemorated of repose. Notes can be submitted to the liturgy: For the proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins. Sin is not just some kind of immoral act, it is, first of all, a violation of the law of God, the laws of spiritual life established by the Creator Himself, lawlessness (1 John 3:4), or, in other words, sin is a violation of the will of God. Sin did not come from God and not from nature, but from the abuses of the mind and will of its rational beings, about their arbitrary deviation from God, about replacing his holy will with their own, from self-will. The first violator of His will was Lucifer, one of the rank of the Archangel. Now he is Satan, that is, the enemy of God. Therefore, the commission of sin is a conscious or unconscious opposition to God, and one must avoid sin in every possible way, making an effort to do so. That original, natural sin, which infected the nature of the first parents, and therefore being hereditary, as long as carnal humanity exists, is the cause for the personal sins of everyone. That is why the Lord said, “There is no man who has not sinned.” Thus, the personal sins of each person come from a damaged human nature, under the influence of the external world, which “lies in evil,” and from the devil. In the case of committing a sin, be sure to repent in order to again become closer to your Creator and Savior, the eternal Defender and Leader. The Lord forgives us all sins, except for mortal sin. Mortal sin is stubborn impenitence, when the sinner in his bitterness comes to the point that he cannot repent with all his heart. And even if someone was terribly guilty before God, he can, with humility, bow down before Him, bring repentance. Repentance is the basic background of our entire Christian life. The Monk Ephraim the Syrian left us the necessary prayer: “grant me to see my sins.” Again and again: to see one's sin is a spiritual act, of extremely great value for all who seek the Face of the Living God. Moreover, this act is the action in us of God Himself, who is light. Unfortunately, very few people comprehend the true nature of sin in their hearts. Usually they stand at the level of human morality, and if they ever rise above it, it is still not enough (and morality itself, if necessary, can be changed ...) Great ascetics, when they confessed, they accused themselves of every evil, because they did not find such a sin that was not created even by a momentary touch of the mind. And no one can be sure that he is beyond the power of thoughts that visit him. So, to the extent of our ability to see ourselves, we need to confess our sins so as not to take them with us at death. The Indestructible Psalter The Indestructible Psalter is read not only about health, but also about repose. From ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Unsleeping Psalter is considered a great almsgiving for the departed soul. And one more important point, but by no means the least important, There is an eternal commemoration on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than a million times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself. All our earthly life, from birth to the last breath, in its final result, it is possible to see and evaluate in one moment. Imagine a vessel of perfectly pure glass, full of water; at first glance, you can tell whether the water is pure or not, and how much. So it will be with us on the transition to another world. Every movement of thought, even a fleeting one, leaves its mark on the general quality of our life. Suppose that during the entire period of my earthly existence only once an evil thought ran through my heart, for example, murder. And this single thought will remain a dark spot on the body of my life if it is not cast out through repentant self-condemnation. Nothing can be hidden: “There is nothing hidden that would not be revealed, and secret that would not be known” (Luke 12: 2-3). And for every evil thought, we will be tormented in ordeals, the result of which is an intermediate judgment: the soul will either go to God, or, pushing away from God, will move “into outer darkness”, to endless torment. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Through sincere repentance with resolute self-condemnation before God and people, the inner man is purified, and the water in the vessel, passed through the spiritual filter of repentance, is restored to its purity. But whoever does not repent becomes an enemy of the Church. Just as rotten branches fall from a tree, so do unrepentant sinners fall away from the head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the vine, and we are the twigs that feed on life. Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov) says: “Sometimes they come to me for confession and say: we have no sins. I ask you, do you go to Church, do you pray? It turns out, no, they don't go, they don't pray. And they do not recognize sins for themselves: they say, we do good, we bring benefits. Then I ask such people: are these chairs useful? - yes, they do, - and earthworms do good? - Yes, good. - Are the chairs alive? - Dead. - What about spiritual worms? - Not. Here you are like these chairs or those worms…” What should we repent of? First, in their own sins; secondly, in the sins to which we have led our neighbors through inducement, temptation, or a bad example; thirdly, that they did not do the good deeds that they could have done; fourthly, that they were taken away from the good deeds of their neighbors; fifthly, that the good deeds themselves were done with sin in half. And in all such matters one must ask one's conscience. Consciousness of one's sins and self-reproach in them are the first steps on the path of repentance. Sorokousta for health Sorokousta is a prayer service that is performed by the Church daily for forty days. Every day during this period, particles are removed from the prosphora. The elder Schema-Archimandrite Zosima noted that the entire history of mankind is measured in "weeks and forties." “For forty days Christ appeared to his disciples, staying on earth until the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The holy feast is the fortieth day of the Ascension of the Lord. Easter, everything goes by magpies, weeks and magpies. And the history of mankind also goes by weeks and magpies. Sorokousts are ordered for health, especially for seriously ill patients. Sometimes it seems difficult to draw a line where sin begins. What is the difference, say, between curiosity and inquisitiveness, between indifference and dispassion, between fashion and custom? In such cases, the easiest way to find out the differences is in opposites. Curiosity is opposed to restraint and modesty, curiosity - stupidity and laziness. Indifference is opposed by sympathy and responsiveness, dispassion - nervousness and fuss. To neglect fashion means to preserve chastity, freedom and independence of taste. To neglect custom is to be proud of oneself and to despise people. Reflecting on other similar qualities, one can learn to determine the boundaries of moral and spiritual behavior. Some people consider a small sin to be a big one, but they hardly think about grave and great sins. So, for every pancake in fasting, they are ready to shake themselves, and insults and condemnations of their neighbor, killing him in the eyes of others, are considered almost nothing. Before we go to confession, we must forgive everyone everything. Forgive without delay, now, and never remember insults! Live as if they never existed. We must be reconciled to all our neighbors. Only then can we hope to receive forgiveness from the Lord. To repent means to feel lies, madness, the weight of one's sins in one's heart; it means to realize that they offended by them their Creator, Lord, Father and Benefactor, infinitely holy and infinitely abhorring sins; means with all my heart to desire correction and smoothing over them. And just as we sin with all the powers of the soul, so repentance must be whole-hearted. Repentance only in words, without the intention of correction and without feelings of contrition, is called hypocritical. And the coldness of the heart in confession, as in prayer, is from the devil, he is the coldness of the hellish abyss. Sometimes it is difficult and painful to reveal all your shameful deeds and thoughts to the confessor without concealment, sometimes it is painful, ashamed and humiliating. But we must overcome this last demonic barrier of false modesty on the path of salvation by reading the “Mercy Door” and the Creed. Otherwise, the wound will remain unhealed and will undermine mental health, remaining a putrid leaven for subsequent sins. For the same reason, confession should not be postponed. Say, it is said, your iniquities, and do not be silent about them, but be justified. The culprit of sin must always be recognized as one's own evil will. Let's not be ashamed of tears in confession. If a person burst into tears, it means that he has reconciled himself, the proud and proud do not cry. Some Christians, out of shame, cowardice, fear, hide their sins from their confessor. By doing so, they cause great spiritual harm to themselves. Through concealed sins, the devil continues to rule over the soul of the sinner. The grace of God does not heal such a soul. No wonder the priestly prayer at confession says: "If you hide something from me, you will have a double sin." Prayer for health Prayer is a special Divine service in which they ask the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints to send down mercy or thank God for receiving blessings. In the temple, prayers are performed daily, except for the time of Great Lent, at the end of the liturgy. On Sunday, after the early liturgy, a prayer service is performed with the blessing of water, that is, a small blessing of the water takes place. Such prayers belong to private worship and are performed at the request and needs of individual believers. Public prayers are performed on the days of temple holidays, on the New Year, before the start of the teaching of the youths, in rainy days, etc. You can also order a thanksgiving service to the Savior on behalf of a person or several people who thank the Lord. A pure confession destroys unrighteousness, turns away from sin, protects from evil, establishes in goodness, strengthens against temptations, maintains vigilance, keeps the commandments of God on the path, strengthens against temptations, pours holy peace into the soul, multiplies the desire for a pious life and makes a person from day to day. days cleaner and more perfect. Some may think that according to everything that has been said, you can sin as much as you want, and then you will repent - that's all. But such a thought is a delusion of the devil. The great sacrament of repentance and the mercy of God do not at all give grounds for a sinful life, “for if, having received the knowledge of the truth, we sin willfully, then there remains no more sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:26). Whoever, in the hope of repentance, allows himself to sin arbitrarily and intentionally, acts insidiously towards God. The sinner voluntarily and intentionally in the hope of eternal repentance, forgiveness, is suddenly struck by death, and no time is given to him, like a liar, for supposed virtues. “Wash, cleanse; remove your evil deeds from my eyes,” the Lord calls, “cease to do evil; learn to do good, seek the truth, save the oppressed, protect the orphan, intercede for the widow. Then come and let us reason, says the Lord. If your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; if they are red like purple, they will be as white as a wave. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the earth; but if you deny and persist, the sword will devour you: for the mouth of the Lord speaks” (Isaiah 1:16-20). To sin, hoping for God's mercy, is "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit", that is, an unforgivable sin. Likewise, those who say: “Let us sin in youth, and repent in old age,” will be deceived and will be ridiculed by demons. As willfully sinners, they will not be rewarded with repentance, they will die without confession. The consequences of a sinful life are blindness of the mind, bitterness, insensitivity of the heart: “My iniquities exceeded my head, like a heavy burden they weighed down on me” (Ps. 37:5). What is the consequence of such sinfulness? “My heart has left me” (Ps. 39:13). The mind of an inveterate sinner sees neither good nor evil - his heart loses the ability to spiritual sensations, his conscience is literally burned. When, with the help of God's grace, many of his sins are revealed to a person, then it is impossible that he would not be extremely perplexed by such a spectacle of his life. Through the cutting off of sins at confession, a person wakes up, his conscience is cleared, which is felt even physically, by the body; the human brain clears up, the soul becomes joyful. In one of the temples of Perm, there was even a case of healing the back of a bent old woman immediately after confession. She, having moved ten meters away from the lectern, suddenly turned sharply and ran back to the priest: “Father, my back has stopped hurting!” she almost screamed. And everyone in the temple began to be touched, as the Lord clearly showed the healing of the sacrament of confession. Church note A church note filed “about health” or “for repose”, along with candles, is the most massive and common church appeal of people to the Lord, the Mother of God and the saints. particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins commemorated, At mass - this is how the people call the liturgy in general, and commemoration after it in particular. Usually such notes are read by clergy and clergy before the Holy See; On the litany - a commemoration for all to hear. It is usually performed by a deacon. At the end of the liturgy, these notes in many churches are commemorated a second time, on trebs. You can also submit a note for a prayer service or memorial service. But dear readers! Please don’t think that the Church is focusing us on the concepts of “should” and “shouldn’t”, that the Church, like a kind of corral, slams the door behind us - and that’s all, now there are only fasts and rules, obedience and cutting off everything that is possible. The Church is the house of God in which the human soul grows and develops. The purpose of this life is to become a partaker of Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven in joy and peace. The path to God is long, the whole life. In the spiritual life of every person, regardless of age, there is childhood, adolescence, maturity. And you need to "grow", improve gradually, albeit with compulsion of the will (as in any business), which actually proves love for God. You just need to remember that spiritual growth is the main business of life, a spiritual guideline in any field of life. We must remember the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, which frees people from the torment of sins and the bitter captivity of the elements of this world, that only in the Church does a person find true freedom. Repentance presupposes not just the awareness of sin, but precisely sin before God. And this is very important. All the feelings that penitential practice offers us to go through: self-reproach, humility, seeing ourselves as the worst of all, fear of punishment, and so on. - in their true sense, they should be not just human feelings, emotions, movements of the soul, heart, mind - but precisely religious feelings, and positively religious ones at that. That is, they are true and correct only when they are performed in God, before Him, in the context of Him and the Church by the joint action of our soul and the grace of God - co-creation, synergy - but in no case by themselves. I draw your attention to this, for here is the root of all religious errors. Self-reproach is not to convince yourself: I am a freak and a nonentity. Humility is not a complex of guilt and one's own inferiority, in the language of psychology. Repentance is not self-reproach, not at all. I repeat, these are positive religious feelings, that is, they mean: there is a God, He is Love and Mercy; He is my Savior, it is mine, all good and good is all His. Mine - indeed, passions and weaknesses; but in spite of them, He gave me such a gift in the Church - to live by Him, His goodness, goodness and perfection; and I am a member of His Body, I live by Him and do not want to live by myself, by my passions. And for the sake of this, and only this - to live by Him, I do everything: I repent, and I pray, and I abstain, and I struggle with sin, and so on and so forth, which the Church prescribes, - in order to seek Christ, to be with Him, so that by His grace we can make up for our weakness. And not for the sake of simply stating every hour that I am a sinner, not in order to eat myself up. This is what happens in repentance. And humility is the feeling that God loves me immeasurably, and all others, and we are the same before Him - equally weak and sick, and I, perhaps, more than others; but He accepts us all, heals, nourishes, supports, comforts, admonishes us with great love and mercy, like a mother to a child; and everything is ours before Him, even something good and good - nothing, zero, dust and ashes. This is humility and self-reproach. And all these repentant feelings should bring into the human soul not despondency and despair, not an inferiority complex, which always happens when we deprive repentance of the church context, but - precisely because these are spiritual movements of the soul - the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is not ecstasy, not pink exaltation, not bloody fever - the grace of the Holy Spirit is witnessed in the soul by a subtle, peaceful, joyful, humble, quiet, cool, truly spiritual feeling that gives a person peace, love and freedom - and, as it were, gathers a person into something whole, into what it should be according to God's plan.
"Sinful me." This phrase is sometimes heard from the closest people. And it is said with particular bitterness.
"We should go to the temple." Another phrase that can be heard. In the temple, for confession, the soul asks.
"How to atone for my sins? There are so many of them that I can't even remember." And these words make my heart ache. God is merciful, He forgives our sins. Including the most severe ones.
What is sin?
This is a violation of the commandments that the Lord left us. Speaking more plain language, violation of spiritual law. Sin separates from God. But that doesn't mean that nothing can be fixed. Everything is corrected by repentance and revision of one's own life.
Can sins be forgiven? We will talk about this a little lower.
Why do we sin?
Going down is always easier than going up. And it is easier to sin than to repent. Why do people sin? By his weakness. We do not notice how we sin. Every day, every hour, every minute. It would seem, what can be especially sinful in a day? Wake up, go to work. We worked until lunch, ate, worked again. And then it was time to go home. Dinner was cooked at home, lunch for tomorrow. Children's lessons checked washing machine launched. I talked with my husband. Where are the sins?
And let's, for the sake of interest, analyze this vain day. Woke up and didn't pray. Go to work if public transport, it is quite possible that someone made a remark. They didn’t, they thought so badly about that one over there fat woman, who loudly argues with the conductor.
We got to work and poured ourselves some tea. Gossiped with a colleague. While we are working, we will run into the Internet more than once. At lunchtime, we again chatted with colleagues, condemned someone.
Probably shouldn't go any further. They didn’t pray, allowed bad thoughts, got carried away with idle talk, didn’t pray before dinner. These are our sins. And we do them, it seems, not intentionally. Everyday sins have become a habit, no matter how strange it may sound.
But there are special sins. They cry out to Heaven for vengeance. That is, they are severely punished. If you do not ask yourself the question of how to atone for sins.
Particularly serious sins
How to pray for sins before God? Sincere repentance and correction of your life. That is, no more returning to sin after repenting of it.
What are the sins mentioned in the title? How to repent in them? Let's look at the answer to the first question first.
Homicide, including abortion.
Withholding wages from a poor worker.
Oppression of a sick, wretched person, widow or orphans.
Disrespect for parents, up to beating.
These sins need, as we have said, special repentance. And of course, it is unacceptable to perform them again after repentance.
Sin of abortion
How to pray for sin for aborted children? What is the sin here? This is not a person yet, but just a bunch of cells. This is what women who have had an abortion think.
But their reasoning is wrong. Man has a soul, it is immortal. And the Lord gives this soul at the moment of conception. Even a one-day-old embryo born in the womb already has a soul. And if so, what right do women have to kill her? What, in fact, the Lord God sends and gives. Abortion is a challenge to God. The woman seems to be saying: “Lord, you gave me a child, but I don’t need him. I think that I’m smarter than you, I’ll figure it out myself in my life. Therefore, I’ll kill your gift.”
Sounds creepy and unbelievable. But if you think about it, that's the way it is. And how to atone for the sins of abortion?
First of all, realize that this is murder. A certain old man made me realize this very well. Came to him married couple who already had four children. The wife became pregnant with the fifth. Standing in front of the elder, she said that the family would not feed another child, so the expectant mother decided to have an abortion.
The elder was silent, and then advised to kill. But not this, not yet born baby. It's not fair not to let him see the light. And to kill the eldest, fifteen-year-old daughter. She has already lived in the world.
The couple was horrified, the mother said in fear that she could not do this. To which the elder said that killing a child in the womb is no different from killing an adult child. The couple repented of their intentions, and soon their fifth baby was born.
So awareness is the first way to repentance. After realizing how monstrous an abortion is, it is unlikely that you will want to go for it again.
And after comprehension there is a purification of the soul. I no longer have the strength to carry this sin in myself, it begins to oppress and gnaw at the failed mother from the inside. Then she goes to the temple to confess.
A woman, if she feels that penance and prayer is not enough, after consulting with a priest, she can do works of mercy specifically for this sin. For example, give alms, carry things to Orphanage, take care of abandoned old people, volunteer at the hospital. But this should be done only in agreement with the priest.
The sin of treason
Another very common sin today. A person deliberately enters into fornication while being married. How to pray for the sin of treason? Repentance. Sincere and aware. Confession and works of mercy in agreement with the priest.
Whether to confess to a spouse in treason? Here you need to consult with the father. Let's take an example from life.
The husband suspected his wife of infidelity. The wife swore and swore that she had nothing with anyone. The man did not believe. Then, in desperation, the woman took him to the temple and swore before the icon that she had not cheated on her husband. She asked if he cheated on her. Husband confessed to cheating. She could not forgive, the marriage broke up.
The elderly priest, after hearing this story from her now ex-husband, only said: "You should have kept quiet, you fool."
Therefore, in such difficult situation Only a priest can give good advice.
sin of fornication
How to atone for sins, including fornication? Fornication is intimate relationship outside of marriage. Modern civil marriage, as the people call cohabitation, is nothing but fornication.
As one elderly man said to his grandson, before entering into an intimate relationship, one must sign. And in relation to the spiritual, also get married. But the church also recognizes civil painting.
How to pray for the sin of fornication? To atone for this sin, you need, as in all other sins, to sincerely repent. And change your life, give up fornication. And not so that they came to confession, listed their sins, went outside the temple gates and started all over again. And even if they took communion.
What is sincere repentance?
Imagine: they took a dirty vessel, washed it, filled it with a fragrant drink and sealed it. And take the vessel and fall into a dirty puddle. Want to pick it up and print it out? Or wash again?
After repentance and communion, we are pure vessels filled with God's grace. Why fall into the mud again? God, probably, is also not very pleased to wash us every time, knowing that we will again begin to sin. Daily sins due to ignorance can still be understood. But such terrible deeds as abortion, adultery or fornication, which people go for on purpose, are scary and incomprehensible.
How to atone for sins at home? Is it possible? Yes, it's possible. We repent of them every day if we read evening rule. At the very end there is a special prayer in which we confess our daily sins. After it, you can ask for forgiveness in your own words. They are usually the most sincere.
Sincere repentance is the realization of one's sins. Disgust for them and desire to change your life. Continue it without particularly grave sins. Even in everyday life, watch your thoughts, words and actions. Try not to allow too much in thoughts and actions. But the latter, of course, is ideal. Almost monastic, it can hardly be realized in our vain life. Although everything is possible with a strong desire.
How to change your life?
And how to repent, we figured it out. But how to change? It does not happen that once and for all - a person rejected the past. It doesn't happen, of course. We cannot change our start, that is, the past. But it is in our power to change the finish, that is, our own future.
Everything starts small, if we are talking about sins that are not particularly serious. Does a person smoke a pack of cigarettes a day? Let him begin to divide this pack into two days, then into three, then into four. And such a division for a month, for example. That's quit smoking.
Or a person likes to lie in front of the TV on the weekend. And you get up and go for groceries, for example. And then wash the dishes. And lie down again. On the next weekend, do not do two things, but three. And every weekend for a month, add the number of cases. This is how laziness wins.
If the sin is especially grave, for example, treason or fornication, then they must be abandoned once and for all. It is difficult, resisting the temptation will be unbearable at first. But gradually the desire to commit this act will begin to disappear. And then it will disappear altogether.
Should you give charity for your sins?
Highly interest Ask. In understanding modern man, or rather the majority modern people, alms must necessarily be given in monetary terms. About the spiritual, for some reason, is forgotten.
Meanwhile, it is not at all necessary to give alms in money. Help is spiritual charity. And it is much more valuable than money.
Why not help the old lonely neighbor with groceries? Especially if funds allow. Or not to visit the hospice as a volunteer? Or don't help a homeless animal shelter? By this we ask for forgiveness for the laws we have violated, given by God.
But any almsgiving should be done in agreement with the priest, we do not forget about this. Sometimes a person takes on his shoulders a very heavy burden in terms of almsgiving. He understands that he is beyond his strength, but he cannot throw it off. And the murmuring begins. It is better to discuss your actions of this kind with the priest, to whom you constantly confess.
The sins of children
How to atone for the sins of children? Before answering this question, one more question should be asked: is it possible to do this?
We pray for children, there are special prayers for this. But it is impossible to repent of other people's sins, even if these are the sins of one's own children, without the permission of the priest. Only very strong spiritual personalities, such as the slain Optina New Martyrs, have the courage to take on the sins of others. Or a father. Have many of us living in the world reached such spiritual heights? That's it.
Therefore, before undertaking to atone for the sins of your children, first discuss this topic with the priest. Self-will in this case can lead to detrimental spiritual consequences.
Conclusion
The main purpose of the article is to tell readers about how to atone for sins. We highlight the main aspect of all that has been said:
- It is quite possible to pray for sins. With sincere repentance for them, disgust for them and the desire to change your life. From this moment until the last breath, do not enter into the mud of this or that sin.
Especially grave sins, adultery and fornication, require special repentance and good deeds in life. Worthy to suffer given by the priest penance, not to grumble about this, to do alms and not to come into contact with these sins - the best repentance by deed.
The question of how to atone for sins before God worries many truly believing people. Indeed, in life sometimes there are situations that affect our behavior negatively. We commit misdeeds, and in the future we experience pangs of conscience.
Unfortunately, the church has ceased to have such great importance than in the past. There is even an opinion that religion and faith are abstract concepts, remnants of the past.
And those who still visit the temple do not always take this seriously: they do not know how to be baptized, how to pray, how to light a candle.
Such aspects lead to inevitable consequences. We do not realize the magnitude of all responsibility for our behavior. And gradually life is filled with sinfulness.
But the understanding that the path is chosen incorrectly and the time has come for change still comes. Often this happens at difficult times, for example, when a serious illness is discovered. And before a person there is a problem - how to repent of sins before God and receive forgiveness?
Modern concept of 7 deadly sins
When it comes to the seven sins that are considered mortal, there is no need to draw parallels with the commandments mentioned in Scripture. Of course, there are common features, but these are two completely different concepts.
What are the mortal sins? It:
- Despondency- indifference to everything that happens, unwillingness to interfere in anything, lack of interest, apathetic behavior. A person protects himself from current worries, is idle.
- Gluttony - constant craving for food, even without feeling hungry. This is an attempt to drown out all problems with food and enjoy it.
- Anger- absolutely unreasonable aggression towards the outside world, revenge.
- Greed- an unhealthy desire to accumulate wealth and unwillingness to share with anyone;
- Envy- a negative reaction to other people's successes. Also, this sin is associated with jealousy - attacks on a loved one, accusations for no reason.
- Pride- defining oneself as the pinnacle of all things. Such people are not inclined to accept someone else's opinion, and even more so to reckon with it. For them, there is only their own I.
- Lust- falling in front of you as a person. Leads to frivolous connections, sexual desires of an unhealthy nature.
Throughout his life, every person is faced with all seven sins. They under certain circumstances overcome and lead us to immoral behavior.
But all these temptations cannot completely overcome the human will, and if you pull yourself together in time and take the path of righteousness, you can receive divine forgiveness.
Sins and virtues
Every sin that enters into the concept of mortals has a virtue opposed to it. The only exception: despondency.
This terrible human passion must be fought every minute: believing, hoping and loving. This is mentioned even in the ancient writings of the righteous living at the time of Jesus Christ.
For believers, humility is important, thanks to which communion with the Lord and the remission of sins is possible. This virtue is seen as the opposite of pride.
Anger is the opposite of meekness. Envious people will be forgiven only after they learn to give love. Those who show greed must overcome in themselves this sin and be generous.
Lust is opposed to chastity. Diligence fights laziness. And by abstaining, you can say goodbye to gluttony.
Can a mortal sin be forgiven?
The first thing to notice is the sincerity of repentance. Without it, the heart is not able to open up to heaven. If you yourself cannot figure out your own sins in detail, you should tell your priest about the mental anguish. Spiritual father will help you find the right path to the Lord.
Confession is the most important part righteous life. Staying within the walls of the temple, watch how the parishioners approach the priest and humbly tell him about the sinfulness of the past years.
The mentor advises how to build your future life. If you decide to confess, first read the prayer for the forgiveness of sins. And do not doubt that the secrets will remain in the church - the priest will never give out the secrets of his parishioners.
And only a true confession will help you get forgiveness: even if you are afraid to admit your bad deeds, overcome this fear.
The spiritual father usually gives everyone advice:
- some are instructed daily prayer facing the Creator
- others must fast
- and some priests are advised to order a special prayer service
But only a heartfelt appeal to heaven will free you from a heavy burden that does not allow you to breathe freely. If even a drop of unbelief slips through your prayer, it is unlikely that you will receive the long-awaited peace. Daily holy conversation with him will help you get closer to God.
Do not be afraid - talk to the Lord, repent before him, talk about what gnaws from within. The very process of prayer clears the mind of evil thoughts. Peace spreads throughout the body.
A large percentage of women, having reached a certain age, are aware of their mistakes of youth. This is especially true for abortion. This is a serious sin that has no explanation or justification.
But when a woman repents, comes to the temple and tells the priest about it, this means that forgiveness is possible. But from that moment on, her life should be woven only from good deeds, from humility, from exemplary behavior.
Help for orphanages can be a way out. Children who have never felt parental care will be grateful. And this will cause a huge flow of positive energy towards the repentant woman.
Prayer for forgiveness of sins
Thoughts about a sin committed in the past can eat a person from the inside, prevent him from sleeping peacefully, prevent him from working and concentrating. And, most importantly, the understanding that sinfulness past days closes the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The power that the prayer for the forgiveness of sins carries in itself is great - it is impossible to evaluate it. The desire, coming from the depths of the heart, about repentance before the Creator increases the energy connection with the sky.
After all, the believer understood and accepted that he committed a sinful act, unworthy of a Christian. He assessed his own guilt in order not to take the same rash step in the future.
A prayerful appeal personifies a spiritual appeal to the Lord. Already after the first uttered sacred words, purification, generosity and kindness descend on the believer.
In order not to return to bad thoughts, you should follow the instructions throughout your life. Orthodox faith. Do not forget about visiting the temple - its walls are saturated with the power of so many spoken prayers!
The energy of such places surprises with its strength, therefore, communication with God in the church is easier for a person. Thoughts become clear, and peace reigns in the soul.
Confess regularly - repentance to a spiritual mentor will allow you to once again experience your sin and realize its wrongness.
Prayer for forgiveness can also be said at home. You need to do this every day before bed at night:
If you do not allow evil and bad thoughts to enter your mind, listen to the advice of a priest and pray regularly, the Creator will surely answer you.
Prayer of repentance and forgiveness
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
If you are haunted by known sins, then you can pray for them before the Lord God. This is done in church or at home. Jesus Christ will forgive you.
While atoning for serious sins, you must clearly remember that having made a promise, you undertake not to repeat them.
When I was in a remote village, a healer who was still alive gave me 5 prayers that allow me to beg forgiveness for the sins of my ancestors, aborted children, fornication, lust and treason.
Light 1 candle. Put the icons available at home. Read the prayer “Our Father” several times.
Then start grinding.
How to ask for an abortion
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Forgive me the sin of abortion, the filthy infanticide. In spiritual nakedness, she went astray from the path of righteousness, deceived by weakness and lust. May your will be done. Amen.
How to pray for the sins of the ancestors
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. In church commemoration, forgive the sins of the ancestors of the deceased, who did not repent during their lifetime, rarely prayed and toiled. May your will be done. Amen.
How to pray for the sin of fornication
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Cleanse me from prodigal aspirations and immeasurable seed defilement. I beg you for strict retribution, so that posterity does not suffer, does not absorb my sorrows. May it be so. Amen.
How lust is suppressed
Lord, do not destroy my soul, but cool the lustful desire of the flesh. I beg you for a just punishment and relief for a sincere confession. May your will be done. Amen.
How to pray for treason
Lord Jesus Christ, in youthful lust and carnal attraction, I repent of marital apostasy. Being righteously angry, punish me for treason, show me the spiritual path to the Temple. May your will be done. Amen.
Now you can pray for your own and others' sins.
May the Lord God hear your groans!
