One Should Not Hide Sins During Confession
January 5
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
January 5
By Archpriest Victor Guryev
Some Christians conceal their sins during confession. Some hide them out of false shame, others out of false fear, some due to disbelief, others due to ignorance, and so on. Are these actions good? No, brethren, know that they are very wrong: for by hiding their sins, they lie before the Lord Himself, multiply their sins after confession, and bring joy to the devil. Let us examine everything in detail. Who receives our confession: the priest who listens or the Lord? Certainly, it is the Lord, as is said in the church teaching from a spiritual father: "Behold, child, Christ invisibly stands, receiving your confession." Therefore, those who hide their sins during confession truly lie before the Lord. And those who conceal their sins during confession only multiply them. "If you hide anything from Me," says the spiritual father to the penitent, "you have a double sin." And those who hide their sins in confession ultimately bring joy to the devil. In a church teaching given before the Lord’s Baptism, it is said: "Let us not hide, brethren, the sins we have committed, but, having confessed them to our spiritual father, let us repent of them with a sincere confession. For if we hide them here, we create great joy for our adversary, that is, the devil."
Therefore, brethren, in every respect those who conceal their sins during confession act wrongly. As we have seen, they lie both before the Lord and double their sins, and, finally, bring joy to the devil.
In view of this, let us strive, brethren, to confess our sins at future confessions without any concealment, as we recognize them in our conscience, placing ourselves, during confession, before the all-seeing eye of God. Let us reveal our sinful weaknesses and grievous afflictions before our spiritual father as before the Lord God, Who on the last day will judge the living and the dead, and will repay everyone according to their deeds. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
