Do you look forward to going to confession? Personally, I do not always. Confession is one of the Holy Sacraments that the Church offers us as a spiritual help, and yet sometimes it is difficult to go. When we go to confession, it is because we know that we have sinned and done something wrong, and sometimes we’d rather not focus on our mistakes for fear of what we might find. With our sins, we have separated ourselves from God, and it takes a lot of effort and spiritual reflection to figure out how we have ended up there. The Orthodox Church offers us the Lenten season filled with lessons and readings that help us to repent, heal, and spiritually renew ourselves.
We need to go to confession on a regular basis as part of our preparation to receive communion every Sunday.As we prepare for confession, we need to take quiet time to reflect on what’s happened and turn inwardly. We also prepare ourselves to take confession with prayer, fasting and daily scripture reading.
Is it so tough? This is not a difficult task to perform. First of all, we must have a sense of responsibility regarding ourselves. Holding to it, we should examine ourselves periodically and see whether we do really fulfil it. Whenever we realise that we fall short of the mark, we should ask for divine help to better ourselves. Repenting of our sins in thought, word and deed, we confess and receive absolution from God, through the Priest.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 9).
The Question is, ‘Are we to speak aloud our confession?’
The Greek word for confession (Homologia) suggests a public admission of truth. “Unless you confess the Son of man, neither will He confess you before the Father and His angels” (St Matthew 10: 32) and (Romans 10: 9). In secular literature, the word was used to confess to a crime, or admit guilt in a court of law. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines it as “to speak…” and “to declare openly…”
Perhaps even more important is the Old Testament pattern of Sin Offering (Leviticus 4: 1-13; 6: 24-30; 8: 14-17; 16: 3-22) and Trespass Offering (Leviticus 5:14 – 6:7; 7: 1-6) which were used to atone for specific transgressions. A bull, goat or ram was brought to the Priest. The worshipper laid his two hands on the head of the animal (signifying that his sin was transferred to the animal) and then confessed his sin to the Priest. The confession would be something like this one found in the Mishnah: “O Lord, I have committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before you, I and my house. O Lord, forgive the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which I have done by committing iniquity, transgression, and sin before you, I and my house. As it is written in the Torah of Moses, ‘For on this day shall atonement be made for you to clean you. From all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord (Leviticus. 16: 30).’ Following this public confession, the Priest then sacrificed the animal.
This idea of verbal confession continues in the New Testament where we are told to “confess our sins to one another” (James
5: 16).
I think the pattern is pretty clear that confessions ought to be made to someone. This creates a humble, confessing community living in the grace of God.
Our Lord gave the Apostles the authority to forgive sins, and the Apostles to the High Priests and Priests. “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (St Matthew 18:18).
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any they are retained’ “ (St John. 20:22 & 23).
To receive forgiveness of sin, we must confess. Confession is a process of repentance and admission of sins committed, with a pledge not to commit them again. The Holy Confession is a sacrament of reconciling with God through forgiveness and absolution granted by God through the priest. Confession is always a prayer before God in the presence of a human witness as illustrated in the Bible. For example, Achan was asked to confess his sins before God not hiding it from Joshua (Joshua 7: 19).
King David confessed his sins to Prophet Nathan, the servant of Jehovah, and Nathan conveyed to King David the absolution of his sins by God. “And David said unto Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’. And Nathan said unto David, ‘The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shall not die’ “ (2 Samuel 12:13).
The salient features of Confession are:
• It is a process of turning away from evil ways to God.
“Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ “ (Ezekiel 33: 11).
It is the experience of a penitent admitting with a contrite heart to God that he or she sinned against God.
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when though judgest” (Psalm 51: 4).
Achan confessed his sins to Prophet Joshua.
“ And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me” (Joshua 7: 19). It is also an opportunity to get counsel from the Priest. The Bible says one should consult the Priest to learn from him.
“For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 2: 7). Through confession, the Priest is enabled to pray for the penitent more meaningfully.
• The Priest has by Apostolic succession the authority to absolve sins.
“Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained” (St John
20: 23).
• Priests are the ambassadors of God making people reconcile to God.
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5: 20).
Christ had asked the lepers whom he cured to show themselves to the Priests. Christ had respected the Priests.
“And when he saw them, he said unto them, go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed” (St Luke 17: 14).
• Confession is also a promise that the penitent undertakes to strive to keep off sin.
Priests are under oath not to disclose confessions. Priests can be the best of counsellors, being men of God and a sacramental presence of the Christ in the Parish.
THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE WORD “CONFESS” IN THE BIBLE
Many understand “to confess” as meaning the sacrament of confession, for that is its common usage by church people although in the bible it has three different meanings.
To confess… Faith
To confess… Gratitude to God and thanksgiving
To confess… Sin
To confess means to uncover or express the thoughts and feelings.
First… To Confess the Faith
St Paul confirms that faith is necessary for baptism and salvation
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10)
Outer Confession of this faith is necessary for “if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
The same meaning is found in the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Therefore whoever confesses me before Men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men , him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (St Mathew 10:32-33)
We also see St Paul advising his disciples: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” ( 1 Timothy 6:12)
This confession that St Paul exhorts his disciples to confess is the same confession of our Lord
“I urge you in sight of God who gives life to all things,and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate” (1 Timothy 6:13)
As part of the Tradition of our Coptic Orthodox Brethren, at the end of the liturgical prayers of mass, the priest confesses: “I believe, I believe, I believe and confess to the last breath that this is the true life-giving body that your only begotten Son…” and he confesses all his faith. He is followed by the deacon’s confession of faith: “Amen, Amen, Amen, I believe, I believe, I believe that this is true Amen.” The whole congregation had also declares their faith: “Amen, Amen, Amen. Your death O Lord we preach. Your holy Resurrection and ascension we confess.”
This confession of faith is necessary for the catechumen before they can be baptised and receive the sacrament of Holy Moron or Chrismation and is undertaken by the infant’s sponsor (God Parent) in case of the infant baptism.
According to our Liturgy of Baptism
[The face of the candidate is turned to the East and the Priest turns to the West,
while the Godfather/Godmother holds the right hand of the candidate with
his/her right hand, and says the profession of faith three times:]
Godparent: I, [Name] who am being baptised, confess
and believe in You, Lord Jesus Christ and in all the
doctrines which You have divinely entrusted to the
Prophets, the Apostles, and the Holy Fathers.
[The Godfather/Godmother repeats the following three times after the priest:]
Godparent: I have renounced Satan and I have
confessed in Lord Jesus Christ. (3)
Second… To Confess Gratitude to God
Often the word “confess” is linked to confessing gratitude and thanksgiving to the beneficent God for all His blessings…
“And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ (Deuteronomy 26:3)
O give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever. (Daniel 3:89/ deuterocanonical book)
Rejoice in LORD, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holy name. (Psalms 97:12)
The LORD is great in Zion,and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name- He is holy. (Psalms 99:2-3)
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100:4-5)
Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. (Psalms 111:1)
The thanksgiving and praise mentioned in the last four verses quoted is about confessing the mercy and goodness and blessings of God. This confession of gratitude comes as a step after faith; for I believe in God’s love, incarnation, redemption and salvation. I acknowledge my gratitude to him, thus thanksgiving is borne of true faith: I believed, therefore I spoke,”I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me? (Psalms 116:10-12)
This is the confession we make every day as we pray the thanksgiving prayer: ”We thank You, O God, and praise Your Holy Name for making us, who are unworthy, worthy of these divine gifts of the Body and Blood of Your only-begotten Son. We, therefore, offer praise and thanksgiving to You, and to Your only-begotten Son, and to Your Holy Spirit, now and always, forever and ever. “
It is noble to keep hidden the secret of a king, but glorious to unveil the works of God. (Tobit 12:7)
Third… To Confess Sin
This is the third meaning for confession. It is also natural consequence to confessing faith and gratitude to God. As a result of honesty with the self, one feels the sin and falling short of God’s standard. One confesses to oneself and in front of God, sometimes in front of people,in front of the church and the priest, as in the book of Joshua…
Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” (Joshua 7:19)
Even when one is confessing to the priest, you are confessing to God. The priest stands for God. It is God that grants the forgiveness through the hands of the priest. And note – the priest is given the authority to “bind” and to “loose” – so if he does not know what the sin is, how will he be able to “loose” it or what does he pray forgiveness for? Unless the physician does not know the ailment, how will the medicine be prescribed? And one person told me – if we are unable to confess our sins to the priest whom we can see, and who is a co-sinner like us, how will we truly confess to the one who is invisible sitting in judgement on His fiery throne on the Last Day? Really when we think about it, confessing to the priest is the easier way God is granting us our forgiveness – it will be so much tougher before us on the Last Day when we are asked to account for our un-confessed sins.
Thus we have a complete triad of confession of faith, confession of the goodness of God and confession of sin. Those are pillars of our spiritual life; for the saint is one who confesses the true faith, lives a life of thanksgiving, praising God all the time and lives a repentant life to the end.
God bless you All,
Aben Abraham
The Above post is taken from sources : Mosc.in , Why Confess? by Fr.Daoud Lamei (Coptic orthodox church centre, UK)
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