By Metropolitan Innocent of Moscow.
What is Confession?
Confession is the oral avowal of one’s sins which lie
heavy upon the conscience. Repentance cleanses the soul and makes it ready to
receive the Holy Spirit, but confession, so to speak, only empties the soul of
sins.
Let us present a simple analogy and comparison to
confession. For example, suppose you had only one vessel of some kind, which
you through negligence or laziness let reach a stage where little by little it
accumulated all sorts of dirt so that your vessel became not only unusable but
even unbearable to look at without repugnance. But what if a king wanted to
give you as a gift some sort of fragrant and precious balm, one drop of which
could heal all infirmities and protect—what then?
