From the Vision of Blessed Theodora

Very useful for self-examination before Confession

THE FIRST TRIAL

Idle speech
Speaking without thinking
Speaking what is vile and shameless
Speaking without need or order
Words uttered needlessly or unreasonably
Words expressing anything blasphemous
Angry words
Foul language
Wild cries or ridiculing laughter

THE SECOND TRIAL

Every lying word
Failure to keep promises
Vain use of God’s name
Insincerity in confession or toward others
Bearing false witness
Flattery

THE THIRD TRIAL

Speaking evil of others
Spreading rumors or gossip
Judging deeds of others
Damaging someone’s reputation – slander
Condemning one’s neighbor
Agreeing in thought when someone else condemns others

THE FOURTH TRIAL

Gluttony
Drunkenness
Drug abuse
Eating secretly from others
Eating without need
Eating in the morning before praying
Eating before the Liturgy [even if not communing]
Breaking holy fasts

THE FIFTH TRIAL

Sloth
Idleness
Not working but living by the labor of others
Taking wages but not fulfilling duties
Not caring to praise God
Neglecting regular attendance at church
Carelessness about the soul’s salvation
Despondency

THE SIXTH TRIAL

Stealing in all its forms
Plagiarism of another’s ideas or work

THE SEVENTH TRIAL

Greed/avarice
Love of or over-concern about money or riches
Discontent with what God has given you

THE EIGHTH TRIAL

Lending money for interest – usury
Gaining payment from the exploitation of others
Taking bribes
Gambling

THE NINTH TRIAL

Injustice
Not giving fair wages to workers
Cheating others in any way

THE TENTH TRIAL

Envy
Lack of love
Hatred toward others
Unfriendliness, rude behavior

THE ELEVENTHTRIAL

Vanity
Bragging
Self-reliance rather than trusting in God
Failure to honor parents or superiors

THE TWELFTH TRIAL

Anger
Severely punishing
Cruelty
Speaking angrily, without care for others’ feelings
Angry looks, being passive aggressive

THE THIRTEENTH TRIAL

Holding evil thoughts in our hearts
Returning evil for evil
Bearing grudges
Planning wicked designs against others

THE FOURTEENTH TRIAL

Murder
Robbery
Wounding others
Pushing, shoving or hitting another

THE FIFTEENTH TRIAL

Magic, sorcery
Consulting horoscopes, psychics or fortune tellers
Poisoning, potions

THE SIXTEENTH TRIAL

Sex before marriage
Impure glances
Sexual fantasizing
Failure to confess sexual sins or justifying them

THE SEVENTEENTH TRIAL

Adultery [infidelity in marriage]
Rape
Impurity in marriage

THE EIGHTTEENTH TRIAL

Sodomy
Masturbation
Incest
Bestiality

THE NINETEENTH TRIAL

Frequenting the churches of, or praying with, heretics
Introducing or reasoning with heresies
Turning away from the Orthodox confession of faith
Doubting, denying, or having negative attitudes toward holy things

THE TWENTIETH TRIAL

Lack of compassion
Hardness of heart
Unmercifulness

Blessed Theodora was the maid of Venerable Basil, The New (March 25), who was a great confessor for the faith. When Theodora dies, she appeared to Gregory, Basil’s novice, and described to him the twenty levels of judgment [Mitarstvo] through which every soul must pass.

This list was provided by St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, McKinney, TX.