GOD BECAME MAN FOR US
The essence or essence of the holy true Orthodox Christian faith is that God became man! How secret and miraculous it is, God who is unimaginable and ineffable, outside of time and space, outside of everything, but also everywhere and in everything, becomes one of us, i.e. becomes a man. Why? Indeed, why did God become man? Out of immense love for his creation, God became man. Since man fell, made a mistake, transgressed God's commandment, he was expelled from Paradise as a punishment and became mortal. He became a slave to sin, death and Satan. Only God could save him from that slavery. And God does that. He becomes a man, for our sake, through the Holy Mother of God. She is God's chosen vessel, in which God placed himself, in order to become man. It is a super-mindful and incomprehensible secret, but still true. The Holy Mother of God gave birth to God and man, in the same person, in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a real man, he had everything we have, all our nature, both soul and body, but the only thing was that he had no sin on him. And at the same time he was also the perfect God, the eternal Son of God, in the same person. Maybe sometimes our reason opposes it, it doubts, but that same reason, however limited by many, cannot say that it is impossible. Why can't God, who can do everything, become a man? He could create all the worlds from nothing, and everything in them, but he cannot become, out of love, one of those he created?
When he turned thirty years old, the Lord Jesus Christ went out for a public sermon, finding himself disciples - apostles, who later continued his mission. He revealed to them, and through them to us, the way of human salvation, the way of human return to God, from whom we fell by sinning in Paradise. Everything that man needed to be saved from sin and death and Satan, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles, and they to us, through the Holy Tradition and the Holy Scriptures. The essence of our life and our salvation is to renounce Satan, and enter into communion with God, through holy baptism. Because by this act we become members of His holy True Orthodox Church, which He founded so that, like righteous Noah in his ark, we too can be saved from the flood of our sins. As an all-knowing but also all-merciful God, he knew that even after baptism we would fall into many and many sins, due to our weakness and laziness, so he left us an invaluable medicine, i.e. conversion or repentance with which we should be cured of spiritual illness or from sin.
When he turned thirty years old, the Lord Jesus Christ went out for a public sermon, finding himself disciples - apostles, who later continued his mission. He revealed to them, and through them to us, the way of human salvation, the way of human return to God, from whom we fell by sinning in Paradise. Everything that man needed to be saved from sin and death and Satan, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles, and they to us, through the Holy Tradition and the Holy Scriptures. The essence of our life and our salvation is to renounce Satan, and enter into communion with God, through holy baptism. Because by this act we become members of His holy True Orthodox Church, which He founded so that, like righteous Noah in his ark, we too can be saved from the flood of our sins. As an all-knowing but also all-merciful God, he knew that even after baptism we would fall into many and many sins, due to our weakness and laziness, so he left us an invaluable medicine, i.e. conversion or repentance with which we should be cured of spiritual illness or from sin.
REPENTANCE OR CONVERSION
Repentance or conversion is like a new training or education. Anyone who wants to appear before the king must take off his dirty clothes and put on clean clothes, otherwise he will be driven away from the king's presence. Why do Christian people change their clothes on Sunday? Because it comes before the King of kings, who is waiting for us in the holy temple.
The soul needs a change of clothes or new clothes more often than the body, because it gets dirty faster than the body. The soul becomes dirty from ungodly thoughts and impure desires. Such dirty thoughts and desires fall on the human soul like invisible dust every day, which is why every Christian needs to clean his soul every day, dressing it in new clothes. This spiritual dressing is done through conversion. And what is conversion?
Conversion (Greek - metanoia) means purification or change of mind. Conversion, in the spiritual sense, occurs at the moment when a person realizes that he has committed a sin and when that sin begins to burn in his heart and soul. So, conversion is preceded by knowledge of sin. And there are many sins, or sinful acts, practically without number.
Addressing or returning to God through repentance and confession is the only way for all those who have distanced themselves from God through sin. Because sin, every sin, has the strength and power to separate us from God, from heaven, from eternal life, and to push us into hell, into eternal death. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), warns the holy apostle Paul. This shows sin as the greatest, even the only opponent and enemy of our salvation. No one and nothing can separate us from God and deprive us of salvation, except sin.
The soul needs a change of clothes or new clothes more often than the body, because it gets dirty faster than the body. The soul becomes dirty from ungodly thoughts and impure desires. Such dirty thoughts and desires fall on the human soul like invisible dust every day, which is why every Christian needs to clean his soul every day, dressing it in new clothes. This spiritual dressing is done through conversion. And what is conversion?
Conversion (Greek - metanoia) means purification or change of mind. Conversion, in the spiritual sense, occurs at the moment when a person realizes that he has committed a sin and when that sin begins to burn in his heart and soul. So, conversion is preceded by knowledge of sin. And there are many sins, or sinful acts, practically without number.
Addressing or returning to God through repentance and confession is the only way for all those who have distanced themselves from God through sin. Because sin, every sin, has the strength and power to separate us from God, from heaven, from eternal life, and to push us into hell, into eternal death. Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), warns the holy apostle Paul. This shows sin as the greatest, even the only opponent and enemy of our salvation. No one and nothing can separate us from God and deprive us of salvation, except sin.
SIN
And sin, what is sin? It is a sin when someone thinks, says or does something that is against God's law, God's will, which is expressed and shown in the Holy Scriptures and the teaching of the holy True Orthodox Church; or else when he does not think, say and do what God commands us to do. Therefore, sin is not only the transgression of the commandments of God, but also not fulfilling them. Sin is not only doing evil, but also not doing good. Avoid evil and do good (Ps 37:27), advises the Old Testament Prophet. And the New Testament Apostle demands the same thing, only in other words: Avoid evil, stick to good (Romans 12:9)!
It is a sin to believe in someone other than the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow someone else and not Christ. All sins and all iniquities can be written under those two letters: disbelief in Christ and not following Christ. Faith and rule, these two encompass the entire path of earthly travelers. Faith in Christ and ruling according to Christ represents the health of the sons of God. Disbelief in Christ and not ruling according to Christ represents the inflammation of the mind and heart of man and the sickness from the fire and smoke of hell.
If it is true, and it is true, that no man can live without sinning, as we constantly hear in prayers for the dead, and if only sin deprives us of salvation and separates us from God, does this mean that there is no salvation for anyone, and that we all go to eternal death? Yes, it would have been so if the human-loving Lord, knowing the weaknesses of man and the cunning of Satan, had not left a very effective medicine against sin, a medicine that destroys every sin committed after holy baptism, and thus enables salvation and eternal life for people. That medicine, the medicine for everyone in the holy Church of Christ, is the holy mystery of repentance (conversion) and confession. In this holy secret, a person is cleansed of all the sins he committed after baptism, and this secret is often called the "second baptism". In it, the priest of the Church of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, forgives all sins for which the Christian sincerely repents and confesses them to God before him.
Repentance (conversion) is, in fact, man's rebellion against himself. It is our righteous rebellion against our old sinful man, a man steeped in sins and passions and thus distant from God. Because man, steeped in sins, wandered off into a distant country (Lk 15:13), where the face of God is not seen. For such a person to become a "new substance" and a new man, according to the apostle Paul, he must first "come to himself", like the prodigal son in the Gospel, and convert. True conversion and confession of sin has great power. However, a person can feel and experience true conversion only in the True Orthodox Church of Christ. The holy secret of conversion, as a secret of the Church, was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, when, after his glorious resurrection, he appeared to the disciples through closed doors, breathed into them, and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; whom you withhold, it is withheld from them (John 20:22-23). The secret of confession is the most precious gift of God of the holy True Orthodox Church to its children, because it is the most necessary need in the life of every true Orthodox Christian. DARKNESS IN THE SOUL However, very often people come to confession and do not know what to say about repentance or conversion, as if there is nothing to say! Their soul eyes are closed, the soul sleeps in a dead sleep. Why does the soul sleep? Why is man in such a terrible state? The devil knows what is the main thing in the work of salvation - sincere repentance or conversion, and he aims at the very center: he deprives people of confession. And here is the result: man does not control his actions, words and thoughts, his reason darkens, he does not see his sins and does not notice that he has transgressed the law of God. Sin becomes a habit, enters the nature of man and lives in him. And he is no longer afraid of death, or Hell, or even the Last Judgment. "What God gave...", many say out of habit. And, God gave the Holy Scriptures and will judge us all on the Day of Judgment according to our faith and our works. Sin is the greatest evil in the world, says St. Ivan Zlatousti. Our unrepented sins are new wounds that we inflict on Christ the Savior. These are terrible living wounds of our soul, and the scars from them remain for a lifetime. Only in the holy mystery of conversion is it possible to cleanse and heal the soul. Conversion takes us out of the abyss of sin, vice and passion, and leads us to the gates of Paradise. The Lord Himself welcomes us with open arms and welcomes us as prodigal children. One should strive for God, as a small child strives for its parents when it is naughty: it cries, begs for forgiveness, promises to behave well, and the parents who love it forgive it. So also our heavenly Father, when we come to him with sincere conversion, with tears, forgives us and gives grace, he gives it, without asking for anything.
THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSION
Conversion or repentance begins only when a person realizes that he is sinful, that his sins prevent him from living, poison his soul. If a person does not see his sins, it means that he is seriously spiritually ill, and for God his soul is dying. This soul is no longer tormented by sins, the devil has bound her hands and feet, her spiritual eyes are closed, her ears do not hear, her mouth is mute. As in the grave: he doesn't hear, he doesn't see, he doesn't feel. When a person gets sick, the first sign that he is not healthy is an aversion to food. In the same way, a person who has become spiritually ill develops an aversion to prayer, to everything spiritual. He does not want to go to the temple or church, and if he forces himself to come, then he is late for the service, does not stay until the end, during the service he struggles and thinks: when will it end? And he does not see his sins. This happens because he has gone far from God, from the Light. Until we approach God, we do not live according to his will, we are in the dark and do not see our sins. Our soul is black, and every new sin is a new black stain on it, and you can't see black on black. SPIRITUAL DEATH Great sinners always consider themselves righteous, and saints always consider themselves great sinners. They live in the light of Christ, see even the smallest specks in their soul and realize their unworthiness before God. And why don't we see our sins? Because we do not control ourselves, our actions, words and thoughts, we do not respect God's law, we are hardened in our sins and have become so empathetic with them that we no longer even consider sin a sin. But when a man realizes that he is sinful, he must not wait and postpone repentance. In our spiritual life, it is as if there are two "calendars": one divine and the other devil's. The divine is called "today", "now". Turn to the Lord now, turn now, because tomorrow may already be too late. And the devil's "calendar" is called "tomorrow", "later": leave it for tomorrow, today you are still young, live for your pleasure, you will convert later, when you are old. The disease must not be neglected, otherwise it will become fatal; conversion must not be delayed, it will lead to spiritual death. Don't put it off until tomorrow, that tomorrow never ends, says St. John Chrysostom. Conversion alone is not enough for salvation, it requires determination to change oneself, i.e. to leave previous sins. We should fight against the old self, not allow sin to be stronger. It is a fight to the death, but a fight for the Kingdom of Heaven, and there is no choice. Between eternal bliss and eternal torment, between heaven and hell, there is no ambiguity. But no matter what sins we commit, in no case should we fall into despair, fearing that the Lord will not forgive us. The despair of man is the devil's great joy. We should not despair but remember that our heavenly Father has such love for us as no mother has had for her child in the entire history of the human race.
HOW SHOULD WE REPENT? Many consider themselves believers, go to church, pray, but do not know how to repent, do not see their sins. And how do you learn to repent? Just as we have not learned anything in life all at once, conversion is learned. Every true Orthodox Christian needs to find a clergyman, i.e. a spiritual parent, who will take care of him and his soul, who will teach him how to watch over himself. Daily reading of the Holy Scriptures and soul-useful books will build more and more our way to God, our return to God. Daily prayer to God, the Most Holy Mother of God and the Saints of God will be our wings that will lead us to the gates of Paradise. There is no rest in the struggle of life, the enemy of our salvation, the devil, is constantly lurking, therefore one should constantly control oneself, one's actions, words and thoughts. As soon as you notice anything bad, immediately turn to God with contrition with the words: "Forgive me, Lord, poor me and have mercy"! And then confess the sin before the priest. In the morning, ask yourself how you spent the night, and in the evening, how you spent the day. And in the middle of the day when you are burdened with thoughts, examine yourself. Judge yourself every night, how did you spend your day: didn't you judge someone? Don't you get bored with someone's words? Haven't you looked passionately at someone's face?
THE BEGINNING OF THE CONVERSION
Conversion or repentance begins only when a person realizes that he is sinful, that his sins prevent him from living, poison his soul. If a person does not see his sins, it means that he is seriously spiritually ill, and for God his soul is dying. This soul is no longer tormented by sins, the devil has bound her hands and feet, her spiritual eyes are closed, her ears do not hear, her mouth is mute. As in the grave: he doesn't hear, he doesn't see, he doesn't feel. When a person gets sick, the first sign that he is not healthy is an aversion to food. In the same way, a person who has become spiritually ill develops an aversion to prayer, to everything spiritual. He does not want to go to the temple or church, and if he forces himself to come, then he is late for the service, does not stay until the end, during the service he struggles and thinks: when will it end? And he does not see his sins. This happens because he has gone far from God, from the Light. Until we approach God, we do not live according to his will, we are in the dark and do not see our sins. Our soul is black, and every new sin is a new black stain on it, and you can't see black on black. SPIRITUAL DEATH Great sinners always consider themselves righteous, and saints always consider themselves great sinners. They live in the light of Christ, see even the smallest specks in their soul and realize their unworthiness before God. And why don't we see our sins? Because we do not control ourselves, our actions, words and thoughts, we do not respect God's law, we are hardened in our sins and have become so empathetic with them that we no longer even consider sin a sin. But when a man realizes that he is sinful, he must not wait and postpone repentance. In our spiritual life, it is as if there are two "calendars": one divine and the other devil's. The divine is called "today", "now". Turn to the Lord now, turn now, because tomorrow may already be too late. And the devil's "calendar" is called "tomorrow", "later": leave it for tomorrow, today you are still young, live for your pleasure, you will convert later, when you are old. The disease must not be neglected, otherwise it will become fatal; conversion must not be delayed, it will lead to spiritual death. Don't put it off until tomorrow, that tomorrow never ends, says St. John Chrysostom. Conversion alone is not enough for salvation, it requires determination to change oneself, i.e. to leave previous sins. We should fight against the old self, not allow sin to be stronger. It is a fight to the death, but a fight for the Kingdom of Heaven, and there is no choice. Between eternal bliss and eternal torment, between heaven and hell, there is no ambiguity. But no matter what sins we commit, in no case should we fall into despair, fearing that the Lord will not forgive us. The despair of man is the devil's great joy. We should not despair but remember that our heavenly Father has such love for us as no mother has had for her child in the entire history of the human race.
HOW SHOULD WE REPENT? Many consider themselves believers, go to church, pray, but do not know how to repent, do not see their sins. And how do you learn to repent? Just as we have not learned anything in life all at once, conversion is learned. Every true Orthodox Christian needs to find a clergyman, i.e. a spiritual parent, who will take care of him and his soul, who will teach him how to watch over himself. Daily reading of the Holy Scriptures and soul-useful books will build more and more our way to God, our return to God. Daily prayer to God, the Most Holy Mother of God and the Saints of God will be our wings that will lead us to the gates of Paradise. There is no rest in the struggle of life, the enemy of our salvation, the devil, is constantly lurking, therefore one should constantly control oneself, one's actions, words and thoughts. As soon as you notice anything bad, immediately turn to God with contrition with the words: "Forgive me, Lord, poor me and have mercy"! And then confess the sin before the priest. In the morning, ask yourself how you spent the night, and in the evening, how you spent the day. And in the middle of the day when you are burdened with thoughts, examine yourself. Judge yourself every night, how did you spend your day: didn't you judge someone? Don't you get bored with someone's words? Haven't you looked passionately at someone's face?
You need to prepare for confession in advance: think about everything, remember all your sins, go through the ruins of your soul, and write everything down, because it can happen that we go to the priest for confession, and the devil can darken the mind and we can forget everything. Whoever gets used to being aware of his life at confession here, it will not be scary for him to give an answer at the Terrible Judgment of Christ. Sin is in our soul like a snake under a stone. If you lift the stone the snake will crawl away, if you reveal the sin the soul will be freed from it. You just need to tell the priest everything in detail, get absolution from the Lord through him, and then bring the worthy fruits of conversion, that is, do good deeds, and deeply hope in God's grace. PHARISIAThe Lord Jesus Christ strictly warned: Do not give the holy things to dogs(Mt 7:6), therefore they will never enter an unconverted or unrepentant soul. God only enters pure souls, that's why those who have not sincerely converted and confessed receive communion to themselves to condemnation. The Holy Church is a spiritual hospital where souls are healed, so the convert should be careful not to leave it unhealed. Before confession, the penitent should know that when he confesses before the priest, he stands before the invisible Christ who accepts or rejects his confession. That is why he should not be ashamed or afraid, but tell everything in which he has sinned, because if he conceals any sin, then the naughty will be confessed, and the sin will multiply.OUR HYPOCRISY AND SELF-LOVEWhy do many make difficult and rude confessions? Because they are proud, self-loving and the devil brings false shame to them, so they mutter to themselves: "How can I say that to the priest? I don't want to regret it, I'm ashamed. And what the priest will think of me, he will scold me."
We all want to be kind, clean and good in the eyes of others! However, the priest should not be afraid. The priest knows all the most terrible sins, thousands of people have passed before him. He is happy when a person sincerely and sincerely repents and confesses. So one should be ashamed of sin, and not ashamed of repentance. All sins should be confessed, even the smallest ones. WHY DO WE HAVE TO CONFESSION BEFORE THE PRIEST?You should repent always and everywhere. As soon as we sin, we should repent. But sin can only be resolved through a priest, because that is how God established it. He does not need our confession, because he, as omniscient, knows all our sins. But God wants to check whether we really believe that he personally resolves sins through the priest.LET'S NOT HIDE SINSaint Paul was simple, because of his simplicity, God gave him spiritual sight, and he saw the spiritual world as we see the earthly one. He saw that a man who repents through confession is approached by a guardian angel and the devil who urges him: "You don't need to say everything, what will the priest think of you? The Lord is merciful. He will forgive you all your sins anyway."
The man began to repent, confess his sins, and spiritual snakes of different sizes came out of his mouth, depending on the size of the sin. Naming all the sins, all the snakes came out with him. The priest said a prayer for absolution, but at that time the Lord himself said: "I forgive and absolve you of all your sins." The demon disappeared, an angel approached the man, who was rejoicing. Because the human soul also rejoiced and rejoiced. And the guardian angel put a wreath on the penitent's head, and he, sanctified and full of the Spirit, went to Holy Communion.
He saw Paul absolved and secondly, a sinner came to confession, he began to confess his sins, and snakes of different sizes also began to come out of his mouth. He decided to say one big sin and a big snake started coming out of his mouth. But then the man was ashamed and did not confess his sin until the end and the snake returned to him. The priest asks: "Nothing left?" he says: "No, there is nothing left." And the priest began to say a prayer for absolution, but the Lord said: "I do not forgive and I do not absolve! "And the man left with a hidden sin, and the guardian angel began to cry. The demon then approached the man and said: "Here, always act like this, the Lord is merciful, he knows man's weaknesses, he will forgive you everything."
And here, these two men approach the cup to take communion, to receive the living Christ. The one who repented worthily and confessed, received communion worthily with the holy and life-giving mystery of Christ. And the one who did not sincerely confess and repent left the cup sad with multiplied sin. The angel took communion from him and instead of the body of Christ he gave him the coal of grace. We are not comforted if we think that we do not have any mortal sins such as: I did not steal, I did not kill, I am not sinful. We are sinful and too sinful, if only we look a little deeper into the soul. Therefore, let's not consider these small daily petty sins unimportant, and that we don't need to confess them. We must confess all that we remember. WE ARE EITHER WITH GOD OR WITH THE DEVILThe human soul is never empty, it contains the Holy Spirit or an evil spirit. How can we find out what kind of spirit lives in our soul? If we have no need for prayer, for love for God, for our neighbors, if we do not live according to the laws of good and love, but according to the laws of evil, if we want to make mischief all the time, to offend, hurt, condemn someone, and at the same time to be arrogant , means an evil spirit lives in our soul. And such a man can be seen immediately, no matter where he is: at home, at work, in transport, while waiting in line for something, he everywhere and equally, continuously pours dirt with words and commits bad actions. We should always remember that on the day of the Last Judgment we will see all our unrepented sins, as in a mirror, and they will all be revealed. Then we will be truly ashamed, because then we will stand before God and the angels, face to face. And if we consciously conceal at least one sin during confession, then our confession will not be for our salvation, but for condemnation.PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION The one who wants to receive Holy Communion must prepare himself worthily for this Holy Sacrament. The preparation lasts several days and concerns both the physical and spiritual life of a person. The usual rule is to fast on the Sunday before Holy Communion. Sexual abstinence is recommended for the body, that is, physical purity and restriction in food or fasting. Food of animal origin is excluded on fasting days: meat, milk, eggs, and fish during strict fasting. Bread, vegetables, fruits are taken in moderate quantities. The mind should not be distracted by everyday trifles and be entertained by insignificant things. On fasting days, it is necessary to attend a service in a church or temple, if circumstances permit. The day before communion, one should attend the evening service. After midnight, one does not eat or drink absolutely anything, because it has been established that one approaches the sacrament of communion on an empty stomach. Of course, the teeth can be washed, but care must be taken not to swallow the water. Confession is necessary and obligatory before communion. ACCESS TO THE CONFESSION
When we come to confession, the priest can ask us questions, but he doesn't have to. We come to confession to receive forgiveness from God, and for no other reason. We can seek guidance and advice from our confessor, but we should always remember that confession is not a "pleasant spiritual chat" or a kind of "religious psycho-analysis". We stand before the living God longing for his love and acceptance, for purification and bringing us to his eternal Kingdom. Spiritual counseling can be a part of confession, and nowadays, when unfortunately, we almost never think about our spiritual life except during confession, it can be the only possibility. However, it should be understood that it is only a "by-product", albeit a valuable one, and that the "success or failure" of the confession does not in any way depend on the person and the counseling capabilities of the confessor. God himself works during confession! And he can speak to us at a time when we least expect it, and through a priest from whom we least expect it, we can hear his voice only if we are contrite enough to open ourselves to his words and reject all human prejudices that prevent us from experiencing his personal presence in the holy mysteries in his Church. Be that as it may, one thing is certain: our sincere, pure repentance and desire to be cleansed and renewed for a new life in God is the sole purpose of confession in the Church. Let's confess our sins, we come to confession to confess our sins. We should say them clearly and openly, without interfering with superfluous details, but without covering up the true evil with generalizations such as "common things", "domestic sins", "everyday sins", etc. A clear presentation of Christ's teaching is the only thing that can help us in confessions. We should talk about what we think is really a sin, or confess a few sins that we face and which, unfortunately, rule our lives. We come to confession to confess our sins. It is easy to fall into the temptation of confessing other people's sins: members of our family, people we work with, other parishioners. Some people, almost as a rule, act like this, but they do not do it in connection with some "mutual problem", which would apply to them, but simply present a judgment of fairness, behind which often hides a selfish concern. If there is a sincere need for spiritual consideration of someone else's life, it is done exclusively outside of confession. It is absolutely imperative that during confession we focus completely and exclusively on ourselves, on our own life, sins and transgressions. Let's avoid pedantry. Before we go to confession, we must know that we cannot, nor are we expected to, remember every sin we have committed. Thus, if we forget to say something, unconsciously and involuntarily, during confession, we should not fear that God will not forgive us. After a sincere confession, in which we have made every human effort to confess every sin, the prayer of forgiveness will really be for all sins:willing and unwilling, conscious and unconscious, confessed and involuntarily forgotten. There is no need to go back to the priest if we accidentally forgot to mention something less important. It is important that we do not become too concerned about our sins, which leads us to doubt God's mercy or to believe that his forgiveness depends on human worthiness or our poor memory. God appreciates our intention and sincerity in repentance, not the capacity of our memory. This, of course, does not mean that "sincere intention" can replace going to confession itself. Without confession before the priest, there is no forgiveness of sins. But it certainly means that the power of God's forgiveness is not conditioned by our memory, not even by our ability to avoid sins. There is no number or magnitude of sin that God cannot forgive. There is no confession so perfect that it deserves God's grace with its perfection. All other thoughts related to this consideration are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and may even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.they are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and can even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.they are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and can even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.
HOLY COMMUNION Holy Communion is the sacred secret of the Church, where under the appearance of bread and wine, believers and priests get to taste the true body and blood of Christ. That is why, among other things, it is a secret that we cannot understand what the Lord's body and blood are like, when we only feel the taste of bread and wine in our mouths. However, with deep faith in the truth of Christ's words, we accept that it is indeed flesh and blood. Holy Communion was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, on Maundy Thursday, just before suffering and crucifixion on Golgotha, when he took bread in his hands and blessed it, saying to the apostles: Take and eat! This is my body! And he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, everyone! This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me (Mt 26:26-28; Lk 22:19). In all other holy mysteries we become partakers and partakers of the immaterial forces of God, which are called the grace of God by one name, and which is necessary for our growth in spiritual life, while in Holy Communion we become partakers of the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive him whole in ourselves and unite with him in the most intimate and perfect way. Without holy communion with the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no Christian and spiritual life, no salvation. Those who receive communion worthily secure themselves immortality and eternal blissful life. Through holy communion, a Christian constantly renews his covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, and his vow to the Lord Christ given in holy baptism. The holy liturgy, at which we receive communion, is an extension of that first Last Supper, and its uninterrupted presence in the world. In Holy Communion, an ineffable secret is realized. Just as children, taking milk from their mothers, actually feed on their body and blood, and thus grow, so we, in Holy Communion, take the body and blood of Christ, and with this food our souls grow and mature. Our bodies, which are made of earth, are fed with earthly food, but since our souls are of heavenly essence, they must therefore be fed with heavenly food, because Christ said: This is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:58). HOW AND WHEN TO COMMUNION?
In order to receive communion, we need to prepare. Both physically and spiritually. Many think that it is enough to fast for a Sunday and receive communion. Much more is needed for union with the Lord through Holy Communion. Physical fasting is necessary as the best means so that, at least on those fasting days, our soul also "fasts". We must abstain from every sin and every evil in thoughts, words and deeds, and then sincerely repent for the sins committed and confess. Without this spiritual preparation, on the basis of physical fasting from "Sunday", no one should receive Holy Communion. And when to receive communion? Without a spiritual father, it is not possible to pass the path of salvation and reach union with God We cannot and must not solve any spiritual or even life problem. If there is a healthy spiritual relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual son, then the spiritual person is the one, and the only one, who has the authority and is competent to judge according to our spiritual condition, zeal and effort, when and how often we can and are allowed to receive communion, as well as how we are obliged to prepare for communion, whether during fasting or outside of fasting. And how to find a spiritual father, and who can it be? A priest can be an experienced and zealous priest or monk. Just like when we are looking for the right doctor, a specialist for our illness in case of a physical illness, so we ask relatives and friends for the best one, it is the same with finding a clergyman. Let's ask those who are more experienced than us in spiritual life, and evaluate, when we enter into a relationship with one of the recommended ones, whether he can be our leader towards the Kingdom of Heaven. And when we choose a clergyman, we need to fulfill three things:
1. We must have full confidence in him.
2. We must be open and honest with him.
3. We must have full and absolute obedience to him.
Therefore, all those who, on the basis of one conversation or lecture, that it is necessary to receive communion as often as possible and that it is correct according to the holy fathers, take the liberty to set their own communion deadlines, to emulate others, are in great error and are walking a slippery path so they go en masse to communion every Sunday, or even every liturgy, regardless of the preparation for that most holy Sacrament, to the possible hindrances that may exist with them for holy communion. Such people walk the path of salvation alone, without a leader and without a clergyman, and sooner or later, they fall into various delusions or deceptions, as it is professionally called, because the Holy Communion is not for the healing of soul and body, but for judgment and condemnation. HOW TO ACCESS THE HOLY COMMUNION? When we receive Holy Communion, as we do in many other situations, we should cross ourselves.We should do this while approaching the priest.
And who should be the first to stand in line for communion? That is not a fundamentally important question at all. It is an unwritten rule that children or the newly baptized, for whom it is the first communion, stand first. The most common practice, and it is the best, is that wherever someone happens to be, they stand in line and calmly wait to receive communion.
When we come to confession, the priest can ask us questions, but he doesn't have to. We come to confession to receive forgiveness from God, and for no other reason. We can seek guidance and advice from our confessor, but we should always remember that confession is not a "pleasant spiritual chat" or a kind of "religious psycho-analysis". We stand before the living God longing for his love and acceptance, for purification and bringing us to his eternal Kingdom. Spiritual counseling can be a part of confession, and nowadays, when unfortunately, we almost never think about our spiritual life except during confession, it can be the only possibility. However, it should be understood that it is only a "by-product", albeit a valuable one, and that the "success or failure" of the confession does not in any way depend on the person and the counseling capabilities of the confessor. God himself works during confession! And he can speak to us at a time when we least expect it, and through a priest from whom we least expect it, we can hear his voice only if we are contrite enough to open ourselves to his words and reject all human prejudices that prevent us from experiencing his personal presence in the holy mysteries in his Church. Be that as it may, one thing is certain: our sincere, pure repentance and desire to be cleansed and renewed for a new life in God is the sole purpose of confession in the Church. Let's confess our sins, we come to confession to confess our sins. We should say them clearly and openly, without interfering with superfluous details, but without covering up the true evil with generalizations such as "common things", "domestic sins", "everyday sins", etc. A clear presentation of Christ's teaching is the only thing that can help us in confessions. We should talk about what we think is really a sin, or confess a few sins that we face and which, unfortunately, rule our lives. We come to confession to confess our sins. It is easy to fall into the temptation of confessing other people's sins: members of our family, people we work with, other parishioners. Some people, almost as a rule, act like this, but they do not do it in connection with some "mutual problem", which would apply to them, but simply present a judgment of fairness, behind which often hides a selfish concern. If there is a sincere need for spiritual consideration of someone else's life, it is done exclusively outside of confession. It is absolutely imperative that during confession we focus completely and exclusively on ourselves, on our own life, sins and transgressions. Let's avoid pedantry. Before we go to confession, we must know that we cannot, nor are we expected to, remember every sin we have committed. Thus, if we forget to say something, unconsciously and involuntarily, during confession, we should not fear that God will not forgive us. After a sincere confession, in which we have made every human effort to confess every sin, the prayer of forgiveness will really be for all sins:willing and unwilling, conscious and unconscious, confessed and involuntarily forgotten. There is no need to go back to the priest if we accidentally forgot to mention something less important. It is important that we do not become too concerned about our sins, which leads us to doubt God's mercy or to believe that his forgiveness depends on human worthiness or our poor memory. God appreciates our intention and sincerity in repentance, not the capacity of our memory. This, of course, does not mean that "sincere intention" can replace going to confession itself. Without confession before the priest, there is no forgiveness of sins. But it certainly means that the power of God's forgiveness is not conditioned by our memory, not even by our ability to avoid sins. There is no number or magnitude of sin that God cannot forgive. There is no confession so perfect that it deserves God's grace with its perfection. All other thoughts related to this consideration are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and may even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.they are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and can even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.they are not bad theology, but blasphemy, and can even lead to mental or spiritual disorder. We struggle to overcome sins. God forgives us not only because we confessed, but because we really hate our sins and try to overcome them. One holy father, when asked how we can know if God has forgiven us, said: "If you hate your sins, you are truly forgiven." In Christian conversion or repentance there is no room for regret, justification, explanation of sin, shifting responsibility to others or to "circumstances" or to human weakness. Man can recognize, oppose, despise and renounce sin, that is the human part, and God forgives sins. And that's all. Therefore, when confessing, we must promise that we will try by all means to overcome our sins and correct our lives. That's all we can promise, that we will try. We cannot really guarantee any results. And that is really all that God wants: a serious struggle to overcome sin. God will grant us victory at the hour that he chooses as the most suitable. Our only task is to believe, fighting.
HOLY COMMUNION Holy Communion is the sacred secret of the Church, where under the appearance of bread and wine, believers and priests get to taste the true body and blood of Christ. That is why, among other things, it is a secret that we cannot understand what the Lord's body and blood are like, when we only feel the taste of bread and wine in our mouths. However, with deep faith in the truth of Christ's words, we accept that it is indeed flesh and blood. Holy Communion was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, on Maundy Thursday, just before suffering and crucifixion on Golgotha, when he took bread in his hands and blessed it, saying to the apostles: Take and eat! This is my body! And he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, everyone! This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me (Mt 26:26-28; Lk 22:19). In all other holy mysteries we become partakers and partakers of the immaterial forces of God, which are called the grace of God by one name, and which is necessary for our growth in spiritual life, while in Holy Communion we become partakers of the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive him whole in ourselves and unite with him in the most intimate and perfect way. Without holy communion with the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no Christian and spiritual life, no salvation. Those who receive communion worthily secure themselves immortality and eternal blissful life. Through holy communion, a Christian constantly renews his covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, and his vow to the Lord Christ given in holy baptism. The holy liturgy, at which we receive communion, is an extension of that first Last Supper, and its uninterrupted presence in the world. In Holy Communion, an ineffable secret is realized. Just as children, taking milk from their mothers, actually feed on their body and blood, and thus grow, so we, in Holy Communion, take the body and blood of Christ, and with this food our souls grow and mature. Our bodies, which are made of earth, are fed with earthly food, but since our souls are of heavenly essence, they must therefore be fed with heavenly food, because Christ said: This is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:58). HOW AND WHEN TO COMMUNION?
In order to receive communion, we need to prepare. Both physically and spiritually. Many think that it is enough to fast for a Sunday and receive communion. Much more is needed for union with the Lord through Holy Communion. Physical fasting is necessary as the best means so that, at least on those fasting days, our soul also "fasts". We must abstain from every sin and every evil in thoughts, words and deeds, and then sincerely repent for the sins committed and confess. Without this spiritual preparation, on the basis of physical fasting from "Sunday", no one should receive Holy Communion. And when to receive communion? Without a spiritual father, it is not possible to pass the path of salvation and reach union with God We cannot and must not solve any spiritual or even life problem. If there is a healthy spiritual relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual son, then the spiritual person is the one, and the only one, who has the authority and is competent to judge according to our spiritual condition, zeal and effort, when and how often we can and are allowed to receive communion, as well as how we are obliged to prepare for communion, whether during fasting or outside of fasting. And how to find a spiritual father, and who can it be? A priest can be an experienced and zealous priest or monk. Just like when we are looking for the right doctor, a specialist for our illness in case of a physical illness, so we ask relatives and friends for the best one, it is the same with finding a clergyman. Let's ask those who are more experienced than us in spiritual life, and evaluate, when we enter into a relationship with one of the recommended ones, whether he can be our leader towards the Kingdom of Heaven. And when we choose a clergyman, we need to fulfill three things:
1. We must have full confidence in him.
2. We must be open and honest with him.
3. We must have full and absolute obedience to him.
Therefore, all those who, on the basis of one conversation or lecture, that it is necessary to receive communion as often as possible and that it is correct according to the holy fathers, take the liberty to set their own communion deadlines, to emulate others, are in great error and are walking a slippery path so they go en masse to communion every Sunday, or even every liturgy, regardless of the preparation for that most holy Sacrament, to the possible hindrances that may exist with them for holy communion. Such people walk the path of salvation alone, without a leader and without a clergyman, and sooner or later, they fall into various delusions or deceptions, as it is professionally called, because the Holy Communion is not for the healing of soul and body, but for judgment and condemnation. HOW TO ACCESS THE HOLY COMMUNION? When we receive Holy Communion, as we do in many other situations, we should cross ourselves.We should do this while approaching the priest.
And who should be the first to stand in line for communion? That is not a fundamentally important question at all. It is an unwritten rule that children or the newly baptized, for whom it is the first communion, stand first. The most common practice, and it is the best, is that wherever someone happens to be, they stand in line and calmly wait to receive communion.
