Orthodox Confession is a far cry from the Hollywood caricatures of Confession as an impersonal and judicial process. The sacrament of Confession is in many ways the unique sacrament of a continual return to the grace of Baptism in Christ. It is a fountain of grace and healing, and much more a hospital for the soul than a courtroom for the soul. In many ways, participating often in the sacrament of Confession throughout one’s whole Christian life will provide an irreplaceable anchor in the healing grace of the Church, which can never be shaken.
This series of homilies provides an Orthodox teaching on Confession, rooted in the grace-filled example of the Elders of Optina Monastery.