Question: I prepared for
Confession, and wrote my sins on a piece of paper. In the church there were
lots of people, and the Batiushka didn’t have the possibility of listening to
me or reading my piece of paper. The prayer of absolution was read over me, but
the priest did not know what I had written. In such a case do I need to confess
these sins once again, or are they already forgiven by the Lord?
Answer: In order to receive forgiveness of sins from God, one
needs to have in the soul a sincere penitential feeling and confess one’s
transgressions. St John of Kronstadt wrote: “The Master, as the Seer of Hearts,
knows that people are inclined to all extreme falls, and having fallen, often
get up, therefore he gave the commandment to forgive falls into sin; and He
Himself is the first to fulfill His holy word: as soon as you say from your
heart 'I repent' – at that moment you’re forgiven" (My Life in Christ).
You had penitence, you named your sins to God, the priest read the prayer of
absolution – that means your transgressions are forgiven. You don’t need to
repent of them further. Another time, when there aren’t so many people, the
priest can read your piece of paper with your sins, perhaps, and ask questions
and give beneficial advice.
Source: http://ishmaelite.blogspot.com/2010/06/huried-confessions.html
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