Why do we need prayer for unconfessed, forgotten sins, if there is confession?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)  

Sin is not something conditional and symbolic. This is real impurity that enters the soul. "Sinful corruption serves to perdition, because, penetrating secretly into the depths, it produces in nature an incurable rottenness, which seems small, but becomes immense, because it spreads, like leaven, its action from head to foot" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Creations, Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1912, part 3, p. 257). An unconfessed sin committed by a person, even if he has forgotten about it, remains real dirt in the soul. The idea that sin is real impurity is confirmed by experience. Many holy fathers, who possessed special spiritual gifts, were able to tell a person all his sins in detail without confession.

The grace of God, without which spiritual life is impossible, does not enter into unclean souls. The cohabitation of grace and sinful defilement is impossible. On the contrary, fallen spirits easily find their way to an unpurified soul. "A monk will become free from everything when he applies himself to the only good deeds (monastic mental work). The devil, coming to him and finding him engaged in good work, does not find a place for himself in him and departs from him. If a monk is busy with something vain and sinful, then the devil begins to come to him often, attacks him, and throws him down to the worst" (Otechnik, compiled by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov).

The nature of sin (conscious or forgotten) is the same. St. Basil the Great says: "The sins of ignorance, being as it were a kind of filth, disfiguring the outward appearance of the soul and damaging its natural beauty, are in need of purification" (Creations, Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1900, Part 2, p. 153). And St. Ephraim the Syrian speaks of the danger of forgotten sins: "Whoever has sinned and forgotten his sin, and in such a state transmigrates from the body, will fall on him... the wrath of God" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Creations, Moscow, 1881, part 2, p. 334).

Therefore, a person who has come to the Church as an adult needs to go through general confession once. Preparing for it, he must spiritually test himself according to the commandments of God. This work should be thorough and deep. If a person has forgotten something or, due to spiritual inexperience, has not recognized it as a sin, cleansing from forgotten and unconscious sins takes place in the sacrament of holy oil (unction), which everyone should approach during Great Lent.

Where did the expression "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" come from?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)  

This expression is now a proverb. Its closest source is James Boswell's (1740–1795) two-volume memoir and biographical book Life of Samuel Johnson, published in 1791. The author claims that S. Johnson (1709–1784) said in 1775: "Hell is paved with good intentions." The only difference is that the proverb speaks of the road to hell, while S. Johnson speaks of hell itself. Apparently, the author of the aphorism, an English critic, lexicographer, essayist, and poet, relied on a saying made earlier by the Anglican priest and metaphysical poet George Herbert (1593–1633) in his book Jacula prudentium (Latin: "Witticisms of the Wise Men"): "Hell is full of good meanings and wishings."

All three statements are united by the common idea that desires and intentions alone are not enough for salvation. This is in full accord with the teaching of the Holy Fathers. First of all, one must have faith: "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). In the words of St. Ephraim the Syrian, "without oil the lamp will not burn; and without faith no one acquires a good thought." There were so many utopias, radical movements, revolutionary programs, and so on in the world, whose leaders and participants without God and against God, relying on their fallen minds, wanted to bring "happiness" to humanity. History keeps a sad and tragic memory of this. In the same way, an individual who is in the blindness of unbelief, wishing to fulfill his intentions, which seem good to him, often causes evil and pain to others.

Faith is necessary, but it must be correct. There can be many mistakes and delusions, but the truth is always the same. People who are carried away by erroneous religious teachings are sure that they have good intentions, but the false spirituality in which they find themselves leads to their destruction. All religious substitutions are carried out with the participation of demonic forces.

St. John Chrysostom says: "Faith is like a strong rod and a safe harbor, delivering from the error of judgment and calming the soul in great silence." However, the same universal teacher warns: "Let us not consider faith alone sufficient for our salvation, but let us also take care of our conduct, let us lead the best life, so that both may contribute us to the attainment of perfection." The Holy Fathers insistently emphasize that a Christian must have a spiritually enlightened mind. Without it, there can be dangerous mistakes. St. Anthony the Great considered reasoning to be the main virtue of a Christian:

"Reasoning is the eye of the soul and its lamp, as the eye is the lamp of the body; so that if this eye is light, then the whole body (of our deeds) will be light, but if this eye is dark, then the whole body will be dark, as the Lord said in the Holy Gospel (Matt. 6:22-23). By reasoning, man examines his desires, words, and deeds, and departs from all those who distance him from God. By reasoning he frustrates and destroys all the intrigues of the enemy directed against him, correctly distinguishing between what is good and what is bad."

Does the Orthodox faith allow the use of sedatives?