Priests must help these lost souls return to the flock and must do their utmost to prevent people from giving in to their desires for sin and venial pleasure. Sometimes this job might seem insurmountable, but it is not. They have the strength of God to help them fight against sin and they must be devoted and determined.
A Talk before Confession
The purpose of confession is for the sinner to confess his sin and to be absolved through some form of remuneration to God. Further, the one confessing must have a firm purpose to sin no more. Many people misunderstand the nature of confession. They come to think that it is a sort of a blank check where they can do whatever they wish for six days out of the week, provided they go to Church on Sunday and apologize to God for those actions. They do not really intent to stop sinning, but believe that by performing the act of confession that they are performing their duty as a Christian. It is not just that they are lazy, but perhaps they might even truly misunderstand how confession works and what its purpose is. So, not only must the confessor listen and then absolve, it is also his duty to make the parishioner understand what it means to confess and to instill in that person what it is required of them to truly be called a Christian.
The Devil's Stronghold
Pride is...
If a person is prideful, then he will be unable to see himself in error and will continue on a path of wrong and of sin. It is therefore pride that Elchaninov refers to as the devil's stronghold. Pridefulness is one of the most difficult characteristics of a person to change as they will be incapable of seeing their actions, behaviors, choices, or even words as being somehow in error. It will be impossible to be forgiven for a sin if a person does not believe that they have committed one. In addition to this stubbornness, a prideful person will not be able to look outside the self. He or she will not be able to help other people and to do Christian acts of charity or good work because they will not see other people as being deserving of their help. If a man or woman views themselves as being above their fellow human beings, then they will not be inclined to deign to provide them aid when it is needed. This self-absorption or self-entrancement as Elchaninov describes it, will make the person incapable of looking for things or performing acts which will not contribute directly to their own happiness. They become more and more insulated and more selfish.
Works Cited
Elchaninov, Alexander. The Diary of a Russian Priest. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's
Seminary, 1982. Print.
