An Elderly Woman is Ashamed to Confess to a Young Priest

Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov (1951-21.10.2020)

Questions to Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov on the air of the Radonezh radio.

Question: I'm an elderly woman, in my sixties. I can’t walk for many years and a priest comes to me, whom I have known since the age of nine, very young. And in old age, I am suddenly visited by such thoughts and sinful feelings, which I am ashamed, as an old woman, to tell him, the child, because I know him from infancy. What do I do?

- Shame is like a mustard plaster. It burns, but heals. Therefore, there is nothing special about this. As before a doctor, one has to undress and talk about his sores, the same is here. For many people, this is a rather serious barrier. But we must overcome it. Age has nothing to do with it. After all, the main thing is still healing. You see, if you are tormented, it is better to apply a plaster to this. Therefore, I would advise you to pray stronger, and, as they say, go into battle. May God help you.

This article in Russian