What amazes me about the Orthodox Church is the sheer amount of help and support which is available to all of us along the way to assist in our struggle against the devil. The place to start always, is with the Church herself. One oft-quoted saying reminds us that it is not possible to be a Christian outside the Church. Inside there is help, support, comfort and sustenance. This truth is beautifully illustrated by a word much used in the early Church, the Greek word "koinonia" which can be translated as "communion" and also "community". It is by the act of communion, by breaking the bread inside the community, that the Church is nourished and grows. The Church is koinonia, is communion; community; Eucharist and inside that community we can find all the help we need.

Where abouts? Leaving aside for the moment the ministry of bishop, priest and deacon, we can find help at the bottom-most rung by supporting one another in our daily living in the Church. One step up the ladder, is to find someone in the community in whom we can confide and who will confide in you. Mutual support of this kind -- talking through our difficulties/likes/dislikes/problems of faith as well as problems of life -- a soul friend of this kind is invaluable and the kind of help we all need.

But a soul-friend is not to be confused with the next step up the ladder -- a spiritual director who will advise us on the way ahead in our spiritual journey. This role may, or may-not, be combined with that of a confessor. It is, in fact, quite common for Orthodox to have a nun as their spiritual director and this, of course, necessitates showing yourself to the priest for confession. Whichever way we choose, inside the koinonia of the Church, there is no sense in which we walk alone. Equally, there is no sense in waiting for someone to come along and say "I’m going to be your soul-friend": we have to go out and choose one for ourselves.

Confession has already been mentioned, and this is, really, the key to the future as far as progress in the spiritual life is concerned, and towards purity of heart. This is the first stage in the process of deification, i.e. participating in the Life of God. We are fortunate here because our Church is not legalistic in her approach to this Sacrament, like the Western Churches, but there is also a sense in which she is more strict. People ask, why is confession central and so important? The short answer is, because sin is central in all our lives and so, confession is vital for dealing with it.

St.John dealt with this in his letter and I just quote him:-"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, Christ is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar and His word is not in us" (I John 1.18).

The Church sticks to this strict teaching and believes that only God can forgive sins, but that He does so though Christ in the Church. There are, of course, conditions and these are:-- genuine repentance and the intention to change. Both of these are evidenced by the act of confession which is usually made in public, although the words spoken are heard only by the priest who then, acting on behalf of both Christ and His Church, offers advice and the assurance of forgiveness.

We are all sinners, and in the life of the Christian we all need forgiveness. We are also, all sick people and need healing of body, mind and soul if we are to come to the fullness of which St. Paul speaks. Jesus Christ came to "bear the infirmities" of all of us, and one sign of His Messiahship was to heal the sick. The power of healing remains in the Church since Christ Himself remains in the Church through the Holy Spirit.