My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
THE FORGOTTEN MEDICINE: THE MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION
By Archimandrite Seraphim Aleksiev
"The Holy Mystery of Confession can rightly be called "the forgotten medicine." The whole world is lying in evil. Every one of us is infected with the deadly disease of sin, and one can be cured from this disease! The medicine is provided, and it is miraculous at that. You are healed the moment you take it. But we do not reach for it, to be healed and to lighten our conscience. Why? Because we have forgotten and neglected it.
"Why will ye die, O house of Israel?" cries with sorrow the holy Prophet Ezekiel. "Why will you die in your sins, Christians?" our Redeemer Jesus Christ calls to us with even greater sorrow. "Is there not deliverance from death for you? Why should you gladden the enemy of your salvation--Satan? Did I not establish all-powerful repentance in My Church?" "I desire not the death of the ungodly, but that the ungodly should turn from his way and live: turn ye heartily from your way" (Ezekiel 33:11). Repentance, this infinitely good gift, is given to you "at any time of life, and it works with the same power for any sin: it cleanses every sin, saves everyone who turns to God, be it even in the last minutes before death" (Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov)...
"...Wondrous are the consequences of True Confession! "The truly repentant man receives forgiveness for his sins, is reconciled with God, the Church, and his own conscience, and thus regains the precious filial striving towards God as his Father, and benefits from all the gifts of His fatherly love and kindness" (Diatchenko, p. 540).
The consequences of true Confession reflect not only on the soul of the repenting person, they make a reflection on heaven also. There is great joy there over the repentant sinner (cf. St. Luke 15:10). The Angels are rejoicing, the Saints are cheered, and God Himself is glad, because a lost sheep has been found; God's drachma is found, on which the regal image of God is printed."
Orthodox Christian parents must consider, how very important, and necessary, is the Mystery (Sacrament) of Repentance/Confession in the spiritual life of their children. Frequent participation in this precious Sacrament should be a priority in the spiritual development of every adult Christian, as well, as every child. The Christian children should be able to turn to their parents for guidance and encouragement.
What is Sin?
Sometimes a very young child comes to Confession, and when the priest starts talking with him about sins he looks at the priest and does not understand what he is talking about. Then the priest asks him, "Have you ever been ashamed?" "Yes," the child answers and begins to tell him when he was ashamed: when he did not listen to his mother, when he took something without permission. Then the priest tells him, "Here, this is sin--if your conscience suggests to you that you did something bad." Shame is the very first indicator of sinfulness, for adults as well as children.
But it is not only bad deeds that cloud a child's life. At times bad thoughts (logismoi) disturb children more than bad deeds. Children become horrified that these thoughts get into their heads.
Many children talk with adults about bad thoughts. Dreams and thoughts confuse them at the time of prayer, and if they try to talk about it with their parents, this is the most convenient time to put into their hands the weapons of spiritual battle: the sign of the Cross, Prayer and Confession. When a child starts to pray he sees how through prayer evil thoughts go away. If the thoughts do not go away, he can use force, he can pray longer, and he'll still be victorious. The very possibility of conquering sin is very important for the child. To be aware of his victory means to be aware of his power over sin, to feel the help of God. When this happens, a person grows spiritually.
The first habits of spiritual struggle are placed in a person by his parents. Parents explain to their children what is good and what is evil (bad), how to act and how not to act, how to pray correctly, and how to fast. By their own spiritual experience they lead their children. In other words, they fulfill that spiritual direction which adults seek from a spiritual guide. The father and mother explain to the child what sin is, teach him to confess, tell him what the conscience is, and what the fear of God is.
From What Age Should Children Confess?
Many parents think the earlier a child begins to confess, the better. However, the Orthodox Christian Church, knowing the nature of man through its spiritual experience, does not confess very young children. Seven-year-old children come to Confession. However, all children develop differently, and you should not strictly mark seven years of age as the time of their first Confession. Children in early childhood are not capable of being genuinely conscious of their sins or beginning to struggle with them. A trusting conversation with his mother or father is the young child's Confession. Parents, in a certain sense, are the spiritual guides of their children. They love their child, know him, help him to correct himself, and can have pity on or punish him; but the child, without the help of his parents, can neither be conscious of his sin nor correct it. A very young child cannot even correctly name his sin. (Archpriest Alexei Uminsky)
Parents must act prudently and carefully so as not to pressure the child and cause anxiety and fear.
With agape in Christ,
+Father George