People have moved away from the Sacrament of Confession and that is why they are drowning in thoughts and passions

– Father, in the early years of Christianity, Christians made public confession. Does this help?

– Some were in the early years of Christianity, and some are now. This does not help today.

– Why, Father? Then they had more zeal?

– They had even more zeal and did not have the ones that people have today. Now, couples break up for no reason; they are no longer like they used to be.

People have moved away from the Sacrament of Confession, and that is why they are drowning in thoughts and passions. How many do not come and ask me to help them with some problem of theirs, but they do not confess or go to church? “Do you go to church?” I ask them. “No,” I answer. “Have you ever confessed?” “No. But I came to make myself well.” “But how? You have to repent of your mistakes, confess, go to church, take communion when you have a blessing from your confessor, and I will pray for you to get well. Do you forget that there is another life and we must prepare for it?” “Listen, Father, what you tell them about churches, another life, etc., I don’t care. These are fairy tales. I went to sorcerers, to mediums, and they couldn’t make me well. I found out that you can make me well.” Come on, now get over it! You tell them about confession, about the next life, and they tell you: “These are fairy tales.” Then they beg you: “Help me, I’m getting sick!” But will they magically get well?

And yet, although many have problems caused by their sins, they do not go to a confessor who can really help them, but end up confessing to psychologists. They tell their history, ask for advice on their problems, and if they have to cross a river, they throw them into the water, and they either drown or get out. But where do they get out? Whereas, if they went to confess to a confessor, they would cross to the other side on the bridge, without any effort, because in the Sacrament of Confession, the Grace of God works and they are freed.

– Father, some say: “We do not find good confessors, and that is why we do not go to confession.”

– These are justifications. Every confessor has divine power since he wears an epitrachelion. He performs the Sacrament, he has Divine Grace, and when he reads the prayer of forgiveness, God erases all the sins that we have confessed with sincere repentance. It depends on us how much benefit we will receive through the Sacrament of Confession. Once, a man who had psychological problems came to the Hut, thinking that I had the charism of clairvoyance and could help him. “What do you have in store for me?” he asks me. “To find a confessor and confess, so that you can sleep like a baby and not take medication,” I tell him. “There are no good confessors today, he tells me. There used to be.” I come with good intentions, that they will be helped, but I don’t receive what you tell them, and it’s a shame about the travel expenses.

However, I also see a new technique of the devil. It puts into people's minds the thought that if they make a certain promise and fulfill it, if they also go to some place of worship, they are spiritually okay. And you see many people going with candles and other promised objects to monasteries, to places of worship, and hanging them there; they also make big crosses, they cry a little, and limit themselves to these. They do not repent, they do not confess, they do not correct themselves, and they are just happy.

– Father, can a person who does not confess be at peace within?

– How can he be at peace? In order for someone to feel rest, he must throw away the rubble from within. This will be done through confession. Man, opening his heart to his confessor and confessing his mistakes, humbles himself and thus opens the door to Heaven, allowing the abundant flow of God's Grace, which sets him free.

Before confession, there is a fog in his head, he sees poorly, and justifies his mistakes. Because when his mind is clouded by sins, he does not see clearly. Through confession, he makes a "fuuu", the fog clears, and the horizon clears. Therefore, those who come to discuss a problem or ask me for advice, etc., if they have never confessed, I first send them to confess, and only then do I receive them to talk. Some say to me: "Father, since Your Holiness can understand what I should do in this problem, advise me!". “Even if I could figure out what you need to do,” I tell him, “you won’t understand what I’m going to say. So go and confess first, and then come and talk to me.” How can you get along with a person when he’s on a different frequency?

Through confession, a person throws away everything useless from within and bears spiritual fruit. One day, I was digging in the garden to plant some tomatoes. At that time, someone came and said to me: “What are you doing, Father?” “What should I do? I tell him. I’m confessing my garden.” “Okay, Father, but does the garden need confession too?” “Of course it does. I’ve noticed that when I confess it, that is, I take out the stones, the thorns, etc., it produces excellent vegetables. Otherwise, the tomatoes become pale and weak!”

Saint Paisios the Athonite