How to ask for forgiveness and forgive on Forgiveness Sunday. Tradition: asking for forgiveness and forgiving on Palm Sunday
March 13, 2016 - Forgiveness Sunday. All Orthodox Christians ask each other for forgiveness in order to enter Great Lent with peace and a clear conscience.
I want to ask for forgiveness
Kohl did something clumsily,
I also ask you to forgive me
For what you may not have done.
Forgiveness Sunday
I will do what you want.
Drop, please, doubts,
Forgive me my sins.
I ask your forgiveness
If you did something wrong.
Forgiveness Sunday
I ask your forgiveness.
After all, even malicious intrigues
It's never too late to forgive.
Forgiveness Sunday
I ask for forgiveness
For what once offended,
After all, he knew what he did and saw.
For all the words that are rash
I once said
I ask you for forgiveness
I'm in a hurry to forgive you too.
On the Holy Sunday
I'll be honest with you
For all your misdeeds
I ask you to forgive me.
God forgave, forgive you
Be so kind to me
I'll fix it, I promise
I myself forgive all enemies.
On this day I want to wish you
Ask all your friends for forgiveness
For everything that you could hurt to say,
When they forgive, then you will be lucky.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything.
And I forgive you for everything.
Today all mine is yours
Today we bring souls together.
Forgiveness today is Sunday.
Today we forgive each other!
Taking care of your soul's salvation,
We cleanse our souls before the Lord.
I ask for forgiveness for everything
What did she say
'Cause today is Sunday
For you to forgive me.
I want you to sit at the table
Pancakes with caviar to eat,
Burn the woman, spend the winter,
Forgive me on the forgiveness day.
My mother-in-law, congratulations
Today I will come to you for pancakes
For everything, I ask your forgiveness.
Once again, congratulations on the beginning of spring.
Today is a holiday - Forgiveness Sunday,
And on this day I must ask for forgiveness,
To all those whom I offended, I sincerely ask for forgiveness,
I hope you can forgive me someday..
Sunday is farewell day
Seeing off the gray winter.
Pancakes are being baked ... There is a cheerful child ...
On Maslenitsa, fast is everywhere!
Today in Rus', as they say,
Forgiveness Holy Sunday!
Come on Sunday - we will ask for forgiveness,
To remove all sins from the soul, to meet fasting with a pure heart.
Come visit us, we will be glad to see you!
On Forgiveness Sunday, I apologize to all honest people.
Do not be angry, and you, forgive me for Christ's sake, if you are guilty of anything.
On Forgiveness Sunday
I ask everyone's forgiveness!
Those who loved and fell out of love.
Someone who has done something.
Forgive everyone, and I will forgive you all!
Do not take revenge, and I will not take revenge!
Forgive me, but you will be forgiven!!!
I'm sorry! Sorry! -
I ask my friends. -
Don't hold grudges
Sorry soon!
I'll take the automatic
I remember all the past sins,
And I'll wander off to ask everyone's forgiveness ...
If they do not forgive, then I am not to blame!
Forgiveness Sunday -
Day of wisdom, patience.
Everyone needs to be forgiven
Who was sinning for?
The soul must be able to forgive -
It cannot be otherwise!
Well, how in the world can you live,
When does resentment gnaw?
May this day be your soul
Help everyone to forgive.
Happy Sunday!
And we will continue to live!
***
Forgive me, as I forgive you - a simple, in general, formula.
***
Seven weeks before Christ Sunday,
We can ask each other's forgiveness
To enter the post with purity of soul,
To keep peace and find peace.
Merciful God, forgive me
And release my sins
Like I forgive people
So I will be forgiven.
God teaches people to forgive
And don't hold a grudge
Mercy open up
Pray with a good heart.
I ask your forgiveness
If you did something wrong.
Grant me cleansing
Let me take a step towards you.
Show wisdom and patience
To forgive all those who asked you.
Who will sincerely ask for forgiveness, -
He truly deserved it.
I forgive you, and you forgive me,
For everything that sometimes did wrong,
Please don't blame me for anything.
I didn't mean to offend you in any way.
I ask you to me
I sincerely forgave
And with love in my heart,
I forgot about the bad.
Forgive me for all the bad
What I once did.
Your forgiveness will soothe
And put me on a pedestal!
If there is any sin,
Kohl is to blame for something,
And if I once offended
Forgive me on a forgiven day off!
With carnival!
Let the days and years go by
I'm lonely, everything is empty
Forgive me, my dear, for the insult,
Let's try again.
I hasten to you with greetings and ask me to forgive if I offended you, if I once offended you. I sincerely apologize, because today is Sunday.
Not the one who has seen a lot will understand
And the one who lost a lot.
Forgive not the one who did not offend,
And the one who forgave a lot.
I want to confess. Confess.
Ask your forgiveness.
Save it, so as not to toil later,
Forgiveness Sunday.
Forgiveness Sunday
Repentance in honor:
Like, forgive me all my doubts,
And forgive all mistakes;
I'm out of style
Absolutely not sad -
Since you have forgiven me
So be it, I will forgive you!
On Forgiveness Sunday
I apologize for my sins.
Forgive me, accept my forgiveness
And these humble verses...
Forgive me for everything
And I forgive everything
And this Sunday
I invite you to visit!
This Sunday morning
I ask your forgiveness
For resentment and doubt
And for misunderstandings!
I ask your forgiveness
On Forgiveness Sunday
I forgive you for everything
I wish you peace and love.
Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday
We will ask for forgiveness
To remove all sins from the soul,
And meet fasting with a pure heart.
Forgiveness Sunday is a very important holiday for believers. It is on this day that Maslenitsa ends and Great Lent before Easter begins. On this day, it is important not only to forgive those who want to confess, but it is more important to ask for forgiveness for their sins. It is important to know exactly how and with what words to do this.
This day reminds us of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. God cast them out because, having sinned against him, they never confessed their sin. Thus ended their carefree, happy life. It is important to know that not only to ask for forgiveness, but also to forgive sincerely. To do this, you need to understand yourself and understand how to forgive insults in your soul. Only sincere apologies can cleanse the soul of a person so that he can enter the fast with a pure soul.
Forgiveness Sunday is celebrated on the last of the four Sundays before Lent, or the seventh Sunday before Easter. This is the last day when you can eat fast food.
On this day, Christians, attending liturgies, can hear the words from the Gospel about the forgiveness of sins, about Great Lent and about gathering the treasures of heaven.
Why is it called Forgiveness Sunday?
The ability to forgive in the church world is highly valued. It is this quality in a person that makes him merciful to God. Jesus Christ said that the Lord God, his father, will deal with everyone in the same way as he treats his brother who has sinned against you.
The holiday took its name based on the performance of the rite of Forgiveness on this day.
History of the Rite of Forgiveness
The beginning of forgiveness resurrection was given by the Egyptian monks. To strengthen their prayer, for the entire fast (40 days), they went one by one into the desert. There they found themselves alone with the harsh conditions of the wild. Someone could not withstand the harsh conditions of desert life, others were killed by wild animals. 
Realizing that they might not return for Easter, the monks asked for forgiveness for the insults inflicted on purpose and inadvertently. They asked sincerely, as they ask on their deathbed and forgave, respectively, from the bottom of their hearts, understanding the importance of this action. And since this meeting could be the last, the rite of forgiveness was created - in order to reconcile and be forgiven, which means to be forgiven by God himself.
After that, this day became a tradition and passed into the worship of the Church. It is on this day that it is customary for the Church to remember the terrible tragedy for humanity - the expulsion of the common father from Paradise - Adam. 
How to ask for forgiveness from God?
Often, having committed a bad deed, a person begins to look for excuses for himself, looking for someone to blame for what he himself did. The beginning of this was laid by the first people: Adam and his wife Eve. Picking the forbidden fruit from the tree and eating it, Adam did not want to take his guilt upon himself, but declared that it was his wife whom God had given him, thereby making not only her guilty, but also God himself, who gave Adam such a wife. Eve, in turn, made the serpent guilty. However, he only offered, and the people themselves opened their hearts to temptation, thereby showing distrust of God. Instead of saying: “Lord, forgive us, we have sinned,” they began to justify themselves, thereby making their forgiveness impossible.
After observing ourselves, everyone can admit that lying about their innocence, somewhere inside us is tormented by conscience. Therefore, admitting one's guilt is already the first step towards forgiveness. 
In order to be forgiven by God, it is not enough just to come to Church, light a candle, and, albeit sincerely, just say: “Forgive me.” To receive God's covenant forgiveness, it is necessary to have a pure conscience and soul. You need to learn to forgive others. God asks us to forgive the sins of our offenders, to forgive the debts of our debtors.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37), says the Savior.
Analyzing the Gospel, we can say that only those who know how to forgive their debtors deserve the forgiveness of the Lord. 
How to ask for forgiveness from relatives, friends, colleagues, employees?
Since the most important thing on Forgiveness Sunday is to ask for forgiveness, then you need to do it right. We are not talking about beautiful literary words. The most important thing is the sincerity of the intention with which a person goes to the offended.
For the words to be correct, you need to truly feel the degree of offense caused, even if it was done inadvertently. The main thing is that the words come from the heart.
It is also worth noting the time at which you should obey. This is usually done after the sun sets before darkness falls. Usually, when Sunday was forgiven, people went to the cemetery in the afternoon to visit their dead relatives and commemorate, but they didn’t drink alcohol that day. Afterwards, in the evening, they went to the Church, where it was customary to exchange apologies at the liturgy. Returning home, everyone had dinner at a large table, asked for forgiveness again and went to bed.
In order to be pure in soul and body, on this day they usually went to the bathhouse.
What are the words for forgiveness?
When asking for forgiveness, it is important to remember that all words must be spoken aloud. Every forgiveness must be accepted and answered. On this day, it is impossible not to forgive a person who sincerely asked. 
It is also important to understand the difference between the concepts of "sorry", "sorry". There is a huge difference between them. So, asking the offended to forgive the offender, he asks to relieve him of guilt, emphasizing that he is not to blame at all. But to ask for forgiveness is to admit one's fault, thereby promising to improve in the future. It is the word "sorry" that is encouraged by the Bible.
Having asked for forgiveness from the person who was offended, one should ask for forgiveness from all mankind. Because the Bible says that a person must love all people.
How to forgive sincerely?
Sincere forgiveness can be earned only in the sincere repentance of the person who committed the offense. Cutting does not come immediately, but over time, when a person realizes what he has done.
Then he begins to think how to express his obedience:
- in writing;
- in a telephone conversation;
- personally.
Yet the most successful form to ask for forgiveness is verbal, in person. So the offended person will be able to see the eyes of the offender and all the sincerity of his intentions. Both sides will be able to discuss the current situation, expressing their vision. And forgiveness will most likely be sincere.
How to learn to forgive in the soul?
In order to forgive sincerely, you need to endure the offense, consider it from the side of the offender, and not just the offended. You should understand the person who has committed a bad deed, perhaps the feeling of forgiveness will manifest itself.
The most important thing in forgiveness is not to express it in words to your offender, but to let go of the offense, forgiving him in your soul, thereby lightening your burden in the first place. It is very difficult to do this, especially if the act of a person is terrible, and it would seem impossible to forgive such a thing. Maybe that's why people who can forgive a terrible evil receive God's blessing, it becomes easier for them.
Some come to this on their own, others need the help of a specialist, while others may harbor anger inside themselves for years. And this resentment torments a person from the inside, tearing the soul apart.
What are the words for forgiveness?
On this day, it is customary not only to ask for forgiveness, but you can also congratulate on the holiday. Also, asking for forgiveness, you can wish a person all the best.
Psychology how to learn to forgive?
Learning to forgive is the key to a happy life. The grievances accumulated inside make a person unhappy, preventing him from living a full life. There are times when forgiveness fails because of not knowing how to do it.
In order to learn to forgive, it is important to determine for yourself why this is necessary in principle. Without understanding this, there will be no success. If the search for truth is successful, you can begin the process of understanding the truth of forgiveness. 
First you need to understand the reason for your resentment. It often happens that some time after a quarrel, it seems trifling, and sometimes funny. In this case, you should just drop all your grievances.
If the situation is really serious, it is necessary to release the accumulated anger outward, before meeting with the offender. Here you can act according to your preferences. Sports help someone, creativity helps someone, special trainings are needed for someone.
Then you should analyze the behavior of your offender. Perhaps the person who harmed you has completely different principles of life. Then the actions he committed in his eyes are the norm of behavior.
You should not expect the moment when the offender, realizing his guilt, comes to ask for forgiveness. This may not happen at all. It may make sense to take the first step and discuss the topic of resentment directly with this person. Since there is a possibility that the offender himself does not think, and does not even suspect that you are offended.
It will be important to analyze your own behavior. It may turn out that your share of the blame in this situation is greater.
After analyzing the whole situation, the main thing is to immediately discard thoughts about retaliatory actions. Often, the feeling of resentment makes us commit rash acts, making a person sinful. After some time, the offense recedes and we are ready to forgive the offender, but it's too late, we need forgiveness. Therefore, always try to forgive a person in your soul, without waiting for his obedience.
parable learn to forgive
In any situation, Christian people turn to wise parables, drawing answers to pressing questions from there. There are many parables about forgiveness not only for adults but also for children, which makes it easier for parents to teach their child the complexities of forgiveness.
parable one for children
One deceased person got to the gates of Paradise, completely naked and transparent. However, his body was like an aquarium - transparent and full of thoughts. Some of them were bright and beautiful, like small fish, while others were dark and unpleasant, like sharks. The man was able to disguise these thoughts as good ones and God let him into Paradise without saying anything. However, after a while, the man returned to the gate and asked God to help him, as he was uncomfortable in Paradise. To which God told him that he was unable to help him, since everyone must bear the burden of his life himself. 
second parable
Although the action of the parable developed in the old days, it is worth noting that it could take place in our day. One wise old man was called to discuss the punishment of a sinning monk. The elder refused, but after a while he accepted the proposals. Walking into the discussion hall, the elder hung a torn sandbag behind his back. The people sitting in the hall asked him why he did this, to which he replied: “I am going to judge the one who violated the commandments of the Lord, and my sins are pouring behind me.” Such words shamed the participants in the proceedings, they did not judge the monk.
parable three - practical
A man came to the wise old man and began to complain about the offender and that he could not forgive him in any way. Then the elder advised him to take the pot in his hands, and the ambassador to do with it as he would have done with his offender. The man took the pot and stretched his arms up, then threw the pot on the floor. Then the elder said: “You see, the pot broke, but it didn’t feel better for you, it’s your pot, you didn’t get rid of it, but turned it into a bunch of fragments with which you could hurt yourself. Evil breeds even more evil, which will surely return to you. 
You can read more about forgiveness here:
Forgiveness Sunday is a gift to mankind from the Lord. Having sinned throughout the year, a person gets a unique opportunity to cleanse his thoughts and body in one day. By asking for forgiveness and forgiving everyone, he thereby receives forgiveness from God.
On this day, it is important to remember the origins of mankind, the mistakes of the first people and analyze the consequences of their mistakes in order to make life easier for yourself and your loved ones in the future.
How to ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday? How to answer? What is Forgiveness Sunday? What for? And many other questions arise in every sane person who thinks about the soul.
Forgiveness Sunday is the moment that precedes. Before the course of the Great Fortecost begins, you need to understand how it starts.
Reconcile with everyone!
The fact is that we must, first of all, reconcile with everyone, since fasting is not only that a person does not eat a certain kind of food, it is also spiritual work. Therefore, first of all, where it would not only be logical to start, but optimally, is to ask for forgiveness from everyone. As a matter of fact, to start approaching Easter, which is called from this starting point, exactly as it should be.
Only God can forgive sins!
This is not so much a formal side as it has a deep meaning. Because, first of all, if we hold a grudge against someone, we sin, and only God can forgive sins. Therefore, the first component comes - God will forgive.
Asking for forgiveness is an expression of personal humility !
Forgive me - this is an expression of my personal humility. It's hard to just ask for forgiveness. Take this step, just step over your own, your vanity. Moreover, there is an understanding that it is necessary to pacify your sins, but it is better to repent of them (read and apply the article ""), but there is no determination to do this, alas.
And then the church gives such a chance so that we finally, having crossed our pride, reconciled. Maybe in many ways, justifying myself by the fact that everyone does it, well, okay, and I will do it at the same time. Since it is impossible to take this step on your own, but in this particular case, I am like everyone else.
Perhaps there is not enough willpower, perhaps some resentment or rancor interferes: someone did something, but it's hard to forgive. Or the resentment extends so much that maybe they have already forgotten the reason, what and how it all began, what it leads to, they were drawn, so to speak, into the process itself. Be that as it may, this message (Forgiveness Sunday) leads to the beginning of Great Lent in the world.
Those who do not want to ask for forgiveness will always seek out and cling to any word, to the construction of a phrase, just not to be in the role of asking. Moreover, they themselves are well aware of what they are doing, that it is not necessary to do this, but here, as they say: "it's gone." And they will turn it over so that others have a feeling of guilt, so that they ask for forgiveness, in order to raise themselves somehow higher again.
Always make peace with everyone!
To the question: why? - a person is unlikely to answer himself. It's just something like this, based on the character, from the prevailing circumstances, because a person is not yet fully and in the sense of a Christian, well, because it happened that way. And the fact that the norm in life is a believer, it’s not only on Forgiveness Sunday that you need to do it, you always need to reconcile with everyone.
For some reason, among our people there is an opinion that asking for forgiveness and forgiving a person is necessary only before death. However, one should not look at this important point so narrowly. Of course, before death, this is important and should be done with all people, it goes without saying, but this is not the only option when you need to perform this action.
Peace to you!
In more than one place in the Gospel, especially in the Sunday Gospel, one phrase is very often manifested, which Christ says after Sunday to his disciples: “Peace be with you!”. It is repeated repeatedly, while it is unobtrusive, but this is exactly what is the basis of relationships between people. Need to reconcile.
Of course, it is easier to move down to the kindergarten level: he was the first to start, let him be the first to ask for forgiveness. The fact is that since we are still adults, we need to understand that right before God is the one who took the first step towards reconciliation, the one who fulfilled the commandment of the Lord, kept the world.
As the Chinese say: "The greatest victory is victory over yourself." So, in this case, this is the same struggle, you need to defeat yourself, your pride, your vanity, step over it and come, show humility, at least once a year. And it seems to be not by force, but really with the understanding that living like this is not just uncomfortable, not just difficult, even to some extent anti-Christian - not to live in the world. That, in fact, is why Forgiveness Sunday exists.
Both humble themselves: both the one who asks and the one who forgives!
There is one more peculiar detail: both are humbled - both the one who asks for forgiveness and the one who forgives. After all, how much strength is needed to at least squeeze out of oneself: “Forgive Christ for the sake of it!”, i.e. For God's sake do it, not for me, for God's sake do it. "God forgive me, forgive me!" - reciprocal humility. And how hard it is to humble yourself, but here it is mutual - both sides humble themselves before each other. And at this moment they are Orthodox Christians!
Learn to correctly ask for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday and respond correctly, having an inner response to the request for forgiveness and the need to be forgiven! For the sake of God and your soul!
Vinokurova Yulia Sergeevna and Archpriest Vladimir
My dear friends, forgive me if there is offense.
On this day, we ask forgiveness from each other. It's good that there is such a day. This is not about symbolic forgiveness. It's about making your spirit stronger. And if you are still not forgiven, then you forgive this person. Good luck in your search for forgiveness and understanding.
Forgiveness Sunday is Coming
Before Great Lent
And the baptized ask for forgiveness
From relatives and everyone who knows.
Leaving arrogance and ambition
Through simple words
We, paying a debt to tradition,
We forgive friends and enemies.
And we ourselves are guilty of embarrassment,
Knowing the answer in advance
In almost playful humility
We observe speech etiquette.
But let us ask ourselves: so sincerely
Did our voice sound today?
We truly asked for forgiveness
Or is it a simple ritual?
But most importantly, is it
Forgive all the worst enemies
And cast off the heavy burden,
Ridding yourself of the shackles?
'Cause we'll stand without a doubt
Once before God himself,
Praying for mercy,
In which once another
Our hearts were denied
And lived, resentment melting ...
We are bound by strong bonds
Let's save ourselves, friends!
Forgiveness Sunday is the last day before the start of Lent. On this day, they ask for forgiveness and forgive all the accumulated grievances.
Ask for forgiveness from loved ones. Waking up in the morning, without delay, ask for forgiveness for all the offenses caused to your household. You need to ask for forgiveness sincerely, regretting the pain caused to a loved one. If it is difficult to ask for forgiveness, before that you can imagine yourself in the place of the offended and feel for yourself how bad it was for him. Then you will definitely regret and repent of the evil deed. Asking for forgiveness will come naturally.
Ask for forgiveness from the dead. On this day, it is customary to come to the graves of the dead to ask for forgiveness from those who can no longer be seen. We often regret that we offended a person during his lifetime. On this day, there is an opportunity to ask for forgiveness and remove the burden from your soul.
Forgive those who ask. On Forgiveness Sunday, we need to forgive from the bottom of our hearts those who ask us for it. And even those who cannot or do not want to ask our forgiveness. Simply, to forgive all the accumulated grievances, thinking about the fact that our offenders are just as wrong as we ourselves and their soul suffers from this.
Main for a person on Forgiveness Sunday -sincere repentance in a committed evil deed in relation to another person and the forgiveness of their offenders. After all, we all ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins. As we forgive others, so the Lord will forgive us. To forgive others means to approach Great Lent with a pure soul, to prepare spiritually.
Visit the temple. In churches, at the Liturgy, they read the biblical story about Adam and Eve, remember the fall of our forefathers and their expulsion from Paradise. They also read the Gospel narrative in churches, where Jesus Christ explains the words of the Our Father prayer "and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." The Lord Himself shows us the way to the Kingdom of God - to give up evil insults, to love and forgive each other.
http://orthcalendar.ru/event/46
Great Lent is coming and on the eve of it, the Orthodox celebrate Forgiveness Sunday - the last day of the Olive Week.
Many people know about the existence of such a holiday, but not everyone knows the meaning of this holiday, and even more so, how to ask for forgiveness and forgive on Forgiveness Sunday.
Forgiveness Sunday - what is it?
The last day before Lent is called Forgiveness Sunday. This is the holiday that completes the long preparatory period for the most rigorous fasting. For the Orthodox, this is the most significant day, because without forgiveness of those who offended and reconciliation with enemies, reconciliation with God is impossible. This is perhaps the best holiday ever. He personifies the main value inherent in the Orthodox religion: the ability to leave grievances and not hold grudges against anyone.
Forgiveness Sunday reminds us of the day when Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise. This is an occasion to remind people what disobedience and selfishness lead to.
The tradition of asking for forgiveness on Palm Sunday comes from the ancient monks of Egypt. They spent the entire Great Lent in the desert in order to retire there for prayer. And not everyone returned from solitude. Therefore, the monks, before going into seclusion, they asked each other for forgiveness.
Forgiveness Sunday falls on the last day of Shrove Tuesday, which is why it is called "cheesy". This is the last day when you can eat fast food. But on this day they no longer eat meat and meat products.
Forgiveness Sunday is a special day that requires the believer to work hard on himself. On this day, you need not only go to confession in the temple, but also ask for forgiveness from those whom you have ever offended. And you need to do this in such a way that the person you offended forgives you wholeheartedly.
In tsarist Russia, this holiday was given great importance. On this day, the emperor himself asked for forgiveness from his subjects. He did it personally: visiting soldiers' barracks and monasteries.
It is very important to find the strength in yourself to sincerely forgive those who ask for your forgiveness. Therefore, it is very important to know how to ask for forgiveness and forgive on Forgiveness Sunday.
After all, the salvation that every Orthodox strives for is possible only when a person has no desire in his heart to take revenge or feelings of guilt for his actions that destroy the soul.
What not to do on Forgiveness Sunday
It is customary for us to celebrate the end of Shrovetide with a grand scale, dances and songs, and in some regions they even arrange fisticuffs. However, the Orthodox Church does not approve of such fun. Burning an effigy and jumping over a fire are customs that we inherited from our pagan ancestors.
On a cheese week or Shrovetide, according to the charter of the Orthodox Church, each believer should gradually tune in to fasting, leaving earthly joys and calming the soul. This is a period of peace and quiet. It's time for forgiveness, so it's important to make peace with everyone you've hurt.
The Orthodox Church gives a whole week to prepare for reconciliation. So that a person can heal from spiritual wounds and forgive insults. Forgiveness Sunday is a good occasion to break up hostility. On this day, one should not ignore requests for forgiveness, and even more so postpone reconciliation. One cannot be at peace with God without having peace with people.
How to ask for forgiveness: to whom and how to address
Unfortunately, asking for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday has become a kind of tradition for many, such as “swimming in the hole for Epiphany” or “blessing Easter cakes”. Many ask for forgiveness on this day simply because it is necessary, and not because the person is really aware of his guilt. This, of course, is hypocrisy.
Forgiveness Sunday is another opportunity to pay attention to your loved ones. They are the ones we hate the most. Not necessarily a rude word, sometimes just inattention or indifference. Having offended, we think: “we need to ask for forgiveness,” but in the hustle and bustle we forget to do this.
Forgiveness Sunday is the day when you need to stop, look back at the days you have lived and remember who and how we offended. After all, good relations with people who are dear to us is a great value. Human life is short, and these precious minutes should not be spent on quarrels and insults.
In the morning, after the prayer rule, ask for forgiveness from your loved ones. At the same time, it is better to ask for forgiveness for something specific: rudeness, paid little attention or refused to help. The general phrase "sorry for everything" is almost the same as saying in confession "sinful in everything." In either case, there is unlikely to be real repentance. Therefore, if you know what specifically offended a person, ask for forgiveness for that.
But often we can offend a person without even noticing it. Say something rude, brush off a request for help, or even just an unkind look. Therefore, you need to ask for forgiveness from all your friends.
Try to stop and remember those moments when you were wrong before asking for forgiveness. A person should humbly ask for forgiveness by saying: “Forgive me if I offended you intentionally or unintentionally.”
On this day, the elders are the first to ask for forgiveness from the younger ones, and the bosses from the subordinates. It is very important to visit your elderly relatives on this day to ask for their forgiveness. After all, these people at any moment can go into eternal life, having a grudge in their hearts, and this cannot be allowed in any way.
Particular attention should be paid to those with whom you are in a quarrel. After all, it is from them that it is most difficult to ask for forgiveness. It is always easy to offend, but it is very difficult for the first to ask for forgiveness, even if you are wrong. But this is the meaning of the holiday, to measure your pride. For humility is the main enemy of pride.
Forgiveness is asked not only from the living, but also from the dead. To do this, they visit the graves of those who can no longer be seen. Indeed, often, it is only when we lose a loved one that we begin to understand how much we have hurt him.
How to forgive on forgiveness Sunday: what to answer to someone who asks for forgiveness
It is customary to answer a request for forgiveness on this holiday: “God will forgive, and I forgive,” thereby you, as it were, testify that the Lord has forgiven for repentance, and you do not hold evil.
When asking for forgiveness, we do not wait for a trial or want to find out why this happened, but we admit that we have offended and sincerely regret our actions. The answer “God will forgive” means that we are all sinners, and only the Lord can judge us.
So that forgiveness does not become hypocrisy, you need to distinguish between two facets of forgiveness - the wish that God forgive the offender and your personal forgiveness. For example, someone offended you and asks you for forgiveness, but you do not have the strength to forgive (although you understand that this is wrong). But at the same time, you know that if this person repents, God will forgive him, and saying: “God will forgive,” you sincerely wish him this.
If you honestly answer the request for forgiveness of a person whom you cannot yet forgive: “Due to my weakness, I still cannot forgive you, but I ask with all my heart that God forgive you.” Such an answer will bring you closer than a hypocritical "I'm sorry." And of course, you need to work even harder on yourself in order to overcome your pride and forgive a person.
Another important point. When you come up to ask for forgiveness, you should be prepared for the fact that the person will not be able to forgive you right away. The main thing here is not to fall into despair, but to be patient with the feelings of another person. Time will pass, and he will surely forgive you. You don’t need to think: “so I went to meet him, and he rejected me so-and-so,” otherwise it will mean that you didn’t forgive anyone, but were engaged in self-deception.
Is it necessary to forgive forgiveness in the church: from whom and with what words
In the church, the day begins in the evening, so the first service of Great Lent is Vespers of Forgiveness Sunday. Fasting begins with this service, and the services become longer. On this day, the rite of forgiveness is performed, through which a person gets the opportunity to start fasting, having cleansed his soul of insults and omissions, so that during fasting he can calmly focus on his relationship with God.
After the service, the clergyman of the temple addresses the parishioners with a sermon, at the end of which the first one asks for forgiveness from the people. The rector of the temple comes out with a cross, and the believers take turns approaching him, and then to other parishioners with the words "Forgive me." At the same time, answering this: "God will forgive, and I forgive."
And even if you rarely go to the temple, and you don’t know anyone there, you still need to attend this service in order to start your repentance by asking for forgiveness from the priest.
Go to the memorial table, light a candle and mentally ask for forgiveness from your dead friends or loved ones whom you once offended. Attach to the holy icons. It is advisable to confess on this day in order to be completely cleansed and enter into fasting with a pure heart.
We have no right to judge anyone, only the Lord can do this, so let's be merciful and forgive all offenses from a pure heart, for we are all not without sin.
