As our young people approach baptism, this is a time of learning about the mystery of repentance, and the Orthodox approach to confession.
We have examples of confessions left to us by different saints, and below is an adaptation from St Dimitri of Rostov.
We have probably shared this before, but gladly do so again, hoping that this will be of value to our parishioners in their preparation for confession.
I confess to the Lord my God and before you, venerable father, all my countless sins, committed by me unto this very day and hour, in deed, word, and thought.
I sin daily and hourly by my lack of gratitude toward God for His great and countless blessings and His constant watchfulness over me.
I have sinned through: idle talking, making fun of others, telling inappropriate jokes or laughing at those of others, speaking irreverently, cursing, swearing, slandering others, gossiping, and all other worthless speech.
I have overeaten, drunk too much, or have dwelt immoderately upon food or drink in my thoughts.
I have been proud, judged and criticised others, been stubborn, hardhearted, vainglorious, self-willed and disobedient. I have excused my sins while magnifying the sins of others, been ambitious, and thought too highly of myself.
I have sinned through anger, arguing with others (in my thoughts, on the internet, and in person), being contentious, irritable, impatient, quicker to speak than to listen, and remembering wrongs committed against myself or others.
I have sinned through lustful and impure thoughts, motivations, desires, glances, words, speech, and actions. (One may add any other related sin here)
I have envied others, greedily desired that which God has not given me, and lacked faith in God’s providential care for me.
I have been inattentive, indifferent, careless, rendered evil for evil, been embittered, light minded – not taking seriously the spiritual warfare that constantly surrounds me; I have tempted others and been dishonest.
I have allowed despondency to plague me, having negative or hopeless thoughts. I have doubted the love of God for me. I have thought or said inappropriate or blasphemous things about God, His Mother, the saints, or those within the Church.
I have been absent from divine services because of laziness and carelessness, absent- minded at prayer both in church and at home. I have skipped my prayer rule and the reading of Scriptures for dishonourable reasons. I have been lazy or procrastinated, not doing the work allotted for the day.
My merciful Lord, I have sinned in deed, word, and thought; in sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and the rest of my mental and physical senses; of all my sins I repent and beg forgiveness.
(One should mention specifically any other sins, or elaborate on one of the sins above, if there is something burdening the soul.)
I also repent and ask forgiveness for all those sins that I have not confessed because of their multitude and my forgetfulness.
Forgive and absolve me, venerable father, and bless me to commune of the holy and life- creating Mysteries of Christ unto the remission of sins and life everlasting.
Source: https://www.orthodoxroad.com/confession-history-how-to-and-faq/