If we confess oursins

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselvesand the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is

faithful and just and will forgive us our sins andpurify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we

have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and hisword has no place in our lives.

(1 John 1:8-10)

Confession is considered by the Church tobe like a second Baptism, where, by God'smercy, we are afforded the opportunity towash away our sins. Baptism initiated us inthe Life in Christ, washing all our sins away.Unfortunately, each of us, be we layperson,monastic or clergy, still strays from God’swill for us. We make mistakes. We sin. Whenwe recognize our sin and repent,approaching our loving Father with ahumble and contrite heart, God will acceptus and restore us. Therefore, the trulyrepentant person recognizes the need forConfession and runs to God to acknowledgebefore Him his or her sin.

PREPARING FOR HOLYCONFESSION

We should prepare ourselvescarefully before confessing oursins. We should ask God to give usthe courage and the strength weneed to make a thoroughexamination of our conscience andthe grace to change our life. Thefollowing questions are meant tohelp us as we prepare to ask theLord for forgiveness and healing.

Confession

SELF-EXAMINATIONOFOUR CONSCIENCE

First commandmentI am the Lord your God. You shall have noother gods before me!Have I believed in God: the Father, the Sonand the Holy Spirit? Have I failed to trustin God and His mercy? Have I had anyserious doubts about God and His divineprovidence and His salvation throughJesus Christ? Have I failed to pray to Godfaithfully? Have I loved God with all myheart, and with all my soul, and with all mymind, and my neighbor as myself? Have Iremembered to put God first in my life as away of loving Him, or is comfort andpleasure first in my life?

Second commandmentYou shall not make for yourself a gravenimage!Have I made an idol of any person orthing? Have a read the Holy Scripturesregularly? Have I been irreverent duringchurch services? Have a neglected toreceive Holy Communion regularly orwithout due preparation?

Third commandmentYou shall not take the name of the Lord yourGod in vain!Have I profaned the holy name of God inany way? Have I cursed anyone oranything, or sworn a false oath? Have I haddue respect to the clergy or the Church?Have I given proper reverence to holypersons and things? Have I broken anysolemn vow or promise?

Fourth commandmentRemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy!Have I neglected to attend church onSundays or prevented others from doinglikewise? Have I done unnecessary work onSundays? Have I profaned it by my

improper conduct? Have I prayed athome? Have I kept the fasts and feastsprescribed by the church? Have I kept thelaws of the church? Have I tried to learnwhat the church teaches and believes?Have I doubted the teachings of my churchto the extent that I have not attended anyservices nor participated in theSacraments? Have I wandered outside mychurch seeking salvation? Have I been aheretic or schismatic? Have I frequentedtheir houses of worship? Have I beeninvolved in any occult activity (magic,witchcraft, astrology), or given myself overto superstition?

Fifth commandmentHonor your father and your mother!Have I respected my parents and beenobedient to them? Have I deceived myparents or caused them pain by my wordsor actions? Have I respected the elderly?Have I neglected my family? Have I beenwanting in love or kindness toward myhusband or wife, or harmed him or her inany way? Have I set my children a goodexample and tried to bring them upproperly? Have I neglected my god-parentsand failed in any obligations toward them?

Sixth commandmentYou shall not kill!Have I caused injury or death to anyone,or wished someone were dead? Have Ifantasized about harming anyone? Have Ithought about committing suicide? Have Ibeen cruel to anyone? Have I mistreatedanimals? Have I failed to forgive anyonefor anything? Have I failed to stand up forthose unjustly treated? Have I beenprejudiced toward any race or nationality?

Seventh commandmentYou shall not commit adultery!Have I given way to impure thoughts, wordor deeds? Am I guilty of adulterous acts?Have I committed fornication (sex betweenunmarried persons), masturbation orhomosexual acts? Have I and my futurespouse engaged in conjugal relations before

marriage? Have my spouse and I engagedin immoral or unnatural conjugalrelations? Do I read immoral literature,magazines, or attend obscene films? Have Ibeen provocative? Do I dress modestly? DoI tell suggestive stories or jokes? Do Iencourage lust in others? Am I guilty ofdrunkenness?

Eighth commandmentYou shall not steal!Have I stolen anything or wished to do so?Have I cheated anyone? Have I beendishonest in financial matters? Have I paidmy debts? Have I lived within my income,and not wastefully or extravagantly? HaveI neglected my duties to God and to theworks of His Church?

Ninth commandmentYou shall not bear false witness againstyour neighbor!Have I told lies? Have I spoken evil ofanyone? Have I betrayed anyone byrevealing any secrets entrusted to me?Have I gossiped about anyone or harmedtheir reputation?

Tenth commandmentYou shall not covet your neighbor’s house… or anything that is your neighbor’s!Have I envied anything good that has cometo others? Have I damaged or destroyedthe property of others? Am I burdenedwith the desire for riches or possessions?Have I been stingy? Have I hoped for thedownfall of anyone so that I might gain byit?Am I truly sorry formy sins? Do I reallywant to repent (change of mind, heart, andlife style) and do all I can to return to Godand love Him?