Today the people are tired, flustered and darkened by sin and selfishness. That is why there are needed good and experienced confessors to approach people in a simple way, with authentic love and advice them with discernment to find their peace. Without good confessors, the churches become empty and the psychiatric clinics, jails and hospitals are filled.
The people must become aware they torment themselves because they are far from God and must repent and confess their sins humbly.
The work of the confessor is one of an inner healing. There is no doctor more important than an experienced confessor, who inspires trust by his piety, who draw away from the sensitive creatures of God the thoughts brought by the devil and who heals souls and bodies without medicine, only with the Grace of God.
When the confessor has a divine enlightenment, when he has the spirit of God, understands and distinguishes states and can give right guidance for souls. It is good if he doesn`t have many preoccupations, so that he may give every soul the necessary time and do his job in the best way. Otherwise it happens to him what happens to a good surgeon who when he does too many surgeries every day, exhausts himself and it is natural that he can`t give as much as needed.
That is why he must not mingle in all the family issues only limit every time at what has a direct connection with the soul so that he may have the necessary time to help him efficiently. But that one who confesses must not bother the confessor with matters he can ask about other more competent ones, for example to ask him what house to rent or what lessons his child should take.
At confession are judged by God both that one who confesses and the confessor, one for what he confesses and the other one for what he decides. Spiritual freedom helps a lot at guiding the soul. Meaning the confessor should not follow a way proposed by others, but to see what the Holy Fathers say and act with discernment in accordance with the man, the fall and repentance. But I often see there is no sincerity. Some who have responsibility for souls don`t want to say a word to someone for instance who is in relation with magicians, with deluded people to create him problems of conscience and that one to take a stand. The confessor does this for not having problems with those. Meaning that some confessors for not spoiling relations with one or another and for being said about him only good words, leave the man to destroy himself and the devil to rejoice.
Excerpt from Ascetic struggle – Pious Paisios the Athonite, Evanghelismos Publishing.
