Слово второе в пяток недели 5-й Великого поста, перед исповедью

The holy sage of Israel once noticed and said that “death and life are in the hand of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). If this remark is fulfilled in full force, then on these days of fasting and confession. Here, truly the life and death of a person are in the hand of the tongue, that is, they depend on his lips. Life and eternal life when you contritely and humbly confess your sins before God from your heart and accept with faith forgiveness for them from the lips of a minister of the Church! Death and eternal death, when, whether out of false shame, or pride, or something else, you keep silent before your confessor about any of your deeds and go away, therefore not forgiven and not allowed! “Life and death in the hand of the tongue” - both on your lips: choose either, but you must certainly choose one of two: either confession, that is, humility, devotion, faith, and at the same time life, or doubt, disobedience, secrecy, and at the same time death. After this, we should expect that death will not find a single victim among us, that everyone and everyone will receive grace and life: for who has no tongue, what is easier to say - and before whom? Not before man, but before God - which, I say, is easier to say: I sinned, forgive me? But, unfortunately, there are many such, even among confessors, who do not enjoy the benefit of confession as they should, who take from their own tongue and lips not life, but death; they take death because they do not want to move their tongue, the opening of their lips, one might say, to pronounce their own salvation. Such people know their sin, they even understand that it is an abomination before the Lord, and constitutes a fierce ulcer on their souls: but they cannot muster enough strength to decide to confess it before the minister of the altar of Christ. Some of these even go to the holy place with the intention of no longer hiding their iniquity; and yet they return without opening it as they should. Whoever you are, poor soul, suffering from this terrible womb of sin, hitherto unconfessed, let me turn to you the words of the prophet: “Sovereigns of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!” (Isa. 52:2). Your legs and arms have already been freed from the bonds and snares of the enemy; for you no longer walk in the counsel of the wicked, you do not stand in the way of sinners, and you do not do the former works of iniquity: but your neck is not free; the enemy the tempter still holds it in his hands, and does not allow you to open your mouth to confess your sin before the priest; for he knows that with confession and permission he will lose all his rights over you. So, gather your last strength and remove the bonds from your neck; fellows and lift up your head; open your mouth and utter a word, apparently of self-condemnation, but in fact the word of your own salvation. For while you say: I have sinned, I have done this and that iniquity, your Guardian Angel will blot out this very iniquity from the book of your deeds. Ah, beloved brother, if, in order to free ourselves from damnation and eternal punishment for our sins, we were offered something very difficult, for example, to spend our whole lives in prison, or to be condemned to the most difficult labors; Shouldn't we gratefully accept this offer as a mercy, in order to gain freedom from eternal torment through temporary suffering? But here, during confession, they demand from us not great feats, not heavy sacrifices, but a single humble recognition of our sins: and we will still hesitate and deny! – Isn’t this a clear sign that we either don’t believe the Lord Himself, Who says to the pastors of the Church in the Gospel: “everything... that you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18), or are we so stubborn in our sins that we don’t want to exchange them even for our own salvation? But how, you say, should I confess my sin when it is terrible and disgusting? But how, beloved, can you carry it unconfessed for so long in your soul and conscience, when it is terrible and disgusting? – No matter how disgusting the wound on the body is, however, when they begin to be treated, they certainly show it to the doctor, and he tries to find out the full depth of it. And you think to heal your soul not by showing, but by hiding its wounds! But, my heart, you will say again, is so sensitive that I cannot open my lips to admit my grave sin. Ah, if it, this sensitive heart, did not save you from this sin, then this is a sign that it does not have that extreme sensitivity for which even the thought of known sins is truly intolerable. Whoever could have committed any lawlessness: rest assured, he can already confess it and confess it before the altar minister, as the Holy Church requires. But let’s assume that this confession on your part will cost you effort and coercion, that this is a sacrifice, and not a small one at that. What then? - Make this sacrifice and prove to those, on the one hand, gratitude for the mercy shown to you, and on the other, the sincerity of your repentance, and that you really hated sin. By confessing the sin that is still hidden in your heart, you will unspeakably ease your own soul. It’s the same as if you spewed out through your lips what burdened, outraged and spoiled your insides. And at the same time, the confession of sin, hitherto hidden, will serve as a barrier for you from it in the future. For the shame that you will feel from confessing will keep you from repeating this sin, so as not to have the need to confess it again. However, as you wish, beloved, we must decisively tell you in conclusion that if you come to confession with the intention of concealing some sins, then it is better not to proceed to the holy levy. For you approach not only man, but also God. Your confessor, not seeing what is in your soul, will give you permission; but the Lord, who knows the heart, will not give; and you will leave even more bound than when you came, from which may the Lord save you with His all-powerful grace! Amen. You might be interested in: