In the sacrament of baptism, a person is given a special divine grace that makes the newly baptized saint. But during the course of a person's life, one way or another, is again subjected to sin. For spiritual purification in the Church there is a sacrament of confession through which a person is again able to receive grace.
The sacrament of confession is one of the seven Orthodox church sacraments. Otherwise, confession can be called repentance, because, starting this priesthood, a person repents of his sins and receives forgiveness for what he has done from God.
Most often, believers begin the sacrament of confession before the sacrament, but you should understand that these are two different sacraments. The practice of confession immediately before communion indicates that before a person is united with God, the first one needs to cleanse his soul from sin. It is for this that the sacrament of confession exists. But you should not think that confession can be started only before the sacrament. The Holy Fathers say that the more often a person confesses, the better it affects his life, including his spiritual life. Therefore, some believers begin this sacrament every week.
The sacrament of confession is usually performed in Orthodox churches in the evening after the service. If this is a large cathedral in which services are held daily, then the sacrament of confession can be carried out every day in the evening.
In addition, the sacrament of confession is performed in some churches in the morning before the liturgy (from about 8 o’clock in the morning). There is a practice of performing the sacrament of confession immediately before the sacrament (at the end of the liturgy: around 10-11 hours). However, the practice of repentance at the end of the liturgy is not blessed by many bishops, nor is the custom of performing the sacrament during divine service. This is due to the fact that in the Divine Liturgy a person must turn his whole mind and thoughts to God and not be distracted by something else.
On special days, such as before Maundy Thursday, a confession is made in the temples on the eve of Wednesday before the evening service. This is due to the large number of people who wish to receive communion on Good Thursday.
It is worth noting that the sacrament of confession can take place in the temple and on any other day and time. To do this, you must first have a conversation with the priest.
