The Need for Holy Confession
The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church practices “public” Confession. As part of the reforms in the 19th century, which led to its split with the Syrian Jacobite Orthodox Church, the private confession (auricular confession) to the priest was done away with in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Instead, those who desire to partake of the Holy Qurbana, confess publicly by offering the Prayer of Confession, which is administered by a priest. There are two such variants in the Malayalam and a modified version of the Malayalam was translated into English around the 1970s.
The Prayer of Confession used during the Sacrament of Confession in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church is more detailed than the similar Prayer found in the Liturgy of Holy Qurbana of the Syriac Orthodox Church (Antioch). That Prayer of Confession takes place before the reception of the Holy Mysteries and is not as in-depth as that in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. This may be due to the emphasis on private confession to the priest that is practiced in Orthodox Churches. The Mar Thoma Syrian Church allows for the Sacrament of Confession to be taken before the Holy Qurbana and after the Liturgy of the Word. This is a time for personal introspection and repentance from one’s sins. Being conscious of one’s guilt before God, the person seeks the mercy and pardon of God. They may also feel the need to reconcile with those whom they have hurt or those who have hurt them. Jesus Christ taught: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matt 5:23-24 NIV)”
Why Partake in Holy Confession?
The Sacrament of Holy Confession is the prerequisite for participation in the Holy Qurbana. However, no one should see this as a “free pass” just to participate in Holy Qurbana. Such an attitude is abhorrent to God and the Church. The Apostle Paul taught: Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. (1 Cor 11:27)” The general common Confession and “open” Holy Eucharist found in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church is founded on this understanding. Any Christian may partake of the Holy Qurbana in the Mar Thoma Church, as long as they participate with a penitent heart and with repentance. Non-Christians should not participate neither should anyone treat the Holy Qurbana with a casual, ritualistic, or irreverent manner. They shall be answerable to God. In the Orthodox and Roman Catholic, the priest will deny the Holy Eucharist to those they believe haven’t come prepared (i.e. without Confession to the priest) or are not members of their Church (or Church they are in inter-communion with). The Mar Thoma Syrian Church places that obligation on the individual and the priest frequently reminds the faithful of this.
The worship in the Mar Thoma Syrian Church is a complete worship. From the beginning to the end, it contains all the different commands given by God on the pattern for worship. The purpose of Holy Confession is to remind the faithful that they need a humble and repentant heart before God. This is part of all the worship seen throughout the Bible. King David’s confession in Psalm 51 is a well-known confession. The people of Israel often confessed their sins publicly and together. The confession of one’s sins to God leads one to take on a gracious and compassionate attitude to others, especially those in the Church who are struggling with sins. A person who is not struggling with sin may not have truly confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Sin is all around us. The Lord God warned Cain, “sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Gen 4:7 NRSV)” Never let sin freely work in our life; it must be resisted. The Enemy is like a lion on the prowl, waiting to attack. But the Lord gives us the grace and divine blessings to resist Satan and resist sinful living. As the Church is a place for healing, there may be those who are struggling with a variety of sins. We are not to judge but we are to guide them and teach them so that they repent and come to Christ. Judgment belongs to the Lord alone. Therefore, when the faithful stand for the Sacrament of Holy Confession, they are not to look to the left or right but rather take on the attitude of the tax collector who said, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (Luke 18:13 NRSV). This tax collector (publican) is remembered in the Prayer of Holy Confession as a reminder to us.
The Repentant Daily Life
Confession is not something said once a week on Sunday before the Holy Qurbana. There should be a form of confession in one’s daily prayer life. The righteous man Job understood this need: “And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all, for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did. (Job 1:5 NRSV)” We may ask why we need to confess sins since Jesus Christ has forgiven us through his sacrifice on the Cross. The Lord Jesus’ sacrifice was the treatment of sin in the larger and cosmic level. It dealt with the core of the problem of sin, which was that sin had separated God from humankind such that only God Himself could bridge the broken relationship. The reason for this is simply that God’s salvation plan necessitated this process for humans created with free will. The complete renewal of human life and the complete destruction of the sin and death will be fulfilled with the victorious Second Coming of Lord Jesus.
The Mar Thoma Syrian Church emphasizes the daily practice of confession. In the Office of Daily Prayers (Namaskaram, Malayalm), there are Prayers of Confession for all 7 days of the week. Each prayer set contains one psalm followed by a Prayer of Confession. The purpose of the repetition of prayers is not ritualistic but rather to transform the person’s consciousness to realize the truth of God’s Word. The author to the Hebrews wrote: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12 ESV)” The meditation of the Word of God daily is transformative. The liturgical prayers of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church are aligned closely with the Scriptures. Praying with the liturgical prayers and praying with the Scriptures allows the Word of God to take deep root in our hearts and minds. Such “rootedness” changes how we understand God, how we see ourselves, and how we see others. The repentant heart is compassionate, having understood how much mercy God had on us, and in turn calls us to have mercy to those around us. May God bless us! Amen.