A guide for going to confession

OKKiddo · **Posted:** Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:49 pm

Thanks! I'm going to ask at our next class (this Wednesday)...of course, it will be a very busy class since the two classes previously were canceled and Wednesday's class will be going over the Rite of Acceptance for that following Sunday. I'm getting a little nervous, :).

Totterman · **Posted:** Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:38 pm

Dear friend,brothers and sisters in Christ,may His peace and love be with You all,
go to Confession with open heart,mind and mouth. You can tell the priest everything,and not only can,but should. Confession is a Sacrament given to us so that we can save our soul from evilness. The priest will not be angry,sarcastic or say anything You don't want to hear. So go there in the peace given to us by God.

St. Joanna · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:03 pm

My prob. is my mind goes blank :) right when I'm ready to list them all off to Father :nooo:

Or right after I remember something and the urge to run back in and say "oh and...." I'm still laughing at the look Fr. Roy gave me when I said a swear word...he didn't even blink...he just looked at me like..is that the worst....I almost started laughing but then I remembered it's not a laughing matter (confessing) My mom said to me, "you have to imagine what they hear over the years" I guess swear words are pretty common :laughhard

Highlander · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:20 pm

I have been known to carry a list in with me. For the same reason -- my mind can blank out as I go through the steps. Or when the priests interrupts to discuss some item with me.

Lisa1515 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:53 pm

Same with me. I take a little list in with me. I can never remember everything when I go in without one. I go through the "Examination of Conscience" booklet that I have and as I go through it, I write down my sins. I also bring in the Act of Contrition. I have a mental block for the prayer and can never remember it.

Lisa

Lisa1515 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:54 pm

OKKiddo wrote:

In my RCIA class we're given a lengthy list of things to accomplish before we're confirmed. There are no dates on any of them, some of them can be done right away (reciting the Hail Mary, Our Father, etc) but some of them obviously take a bit longer to get to (taking receiving communion). I'm curious if I am allowed to do my first confession now since we don't have a date given....and to let you know, we're heading into the second part of our RCIA class.

Thanks in advance!
Nancy

fixed that for you

Lisa

Highlander · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:23 pm

Lisa1515 wrote:

Same with me. I take a little list in with me. I can never remember everything when I go in without one. I go through the "Examination of Conscience" booklet that I have and as I go through it, I write down my sins. I also bring in the Act of Contrition. I have a mental block for the prayer and can never remember it.

Lisa

Me too on the examination and Act of Contrition -- in some parishes the Act is posted, but not in others.

St. Joanna · **Posted:** Thu Feb 10, 2011 10:39 pm

I do the same thing!!! I can remember the first half and after that I get a few words out of place!!! GOOD to know I'm not the only one taking in list :laughhard

tAnGo · **Posted:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:32 am

if you make a list, make sure you burn it after you get out of the box.

burn it. literally.

St. Joanna · **Posted:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:30 pm

:), I will have to do that one

I tore it up and threw it away!!!

Cuthberta · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:52 am

Lisa1515 wrote:

Come Be My Light wrote:

While I have yet to cry, I have been extremely moved by confessions.

I'm glad you mentioned this. I seem to cry at every confession. I'm not bawling or anything, just confessing my sins through tears and a cry-like voice. It is a new thing for me.. not confession, but crying. I was wondering what was going on with me.

Lisa

http://en.hilarion.orthodoxia.org/6_6_2

Quote:

Isaac often says that tears of compunction should accompany prayer. Tears during prayer are, according to him, a sign that a person’s repentance has been accepted by God.[12] When the gift of tears is granted to a person during prayer, the delight of these tears should not be counted as idleness.

Works for me.

Knight Templar · **Posted:** Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:54 am

http://shop.catholic.com/product.php?productid=206

Peregrinator · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2011 12:11 am

Highlander wrote:

Or when the priests interrupts to discuss some item with me.

That is odd.

In the almost 13 years since my first confession, I have never once had a priest interrupt me before I was finished.

Jayne · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 1:00 pm

Highlander wrote:

Lisa1515 wrote:

Same with me. I take a little list in with me. I can never remember everything when I go in without one. I go through the "Examination of Conscience" booklet that I have and as I go through it, I write down my sins. I also bring in the Act of Contrition. I have a mental block for the prayer and can never remember it.

Lisa

Me too on the examination and Act of Contrition -- in some parishes the Act is posted, but not in others.

Me too.

Q: If you don't remember the act of contrition and look confused for a second, giving the Priest a chance to say "don't worry about it".... is the confession still valid? This happened to me a while ago. He gave me absolutation and penace, but I didn't say any prayer of contrition.

Bonaventure · **Posted:** Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:18 pm

Jayne wrote:

Highlander wrote:

Lisa1515 wrote:

Same with me. I take a little list in with me. I can never remember everything when I go in without one. I go through the "Examination of Conscience" booklet that I have and as I go through it, I write down my sins. I also bring in the Act of Contrition. I have a mental block for the prayer and can never remember it.

Lisa

Me too on the examination and Act of Contrition -- in some parishes the Act is posted, but not in others.

Me too.

Q: If you don't remember the act of contrition and look confused for a second, giving the Priest a chance to say "don't worry about it".... is the confession still valid? This happened to me a while ago. He gave me absolutation and penace, but I didn't say any prayer of contrition.

Yes, it is still valid.

INsearch · **Posted:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:36 pm

This is the first time that I have actually gotten around to reading the "process" of confession..how intimidating! :)

Question: you don't have first confession until you are ready to be brought into the Church at Easter right?

Highlander · **Posted:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:28 pm

Pepsuber wrote:

Highlander wrote:

Or when the priests interrupts to discuss some item with me.

That is odd.

In the almost 13 years since my first confession, I have never once had a priest interrupt me before I was finished.

It has happened to me on occasion. The most unsettling question has been, "And why did (or did not) you do such and such?" Which causes me to have to state that I knew better, but I did it (or didn't do it) anyway. A stark understanding of my culpability.

Highlander · **Posted:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:33 pm

INsearch wrote:

This is the first time that I have actually gotten around to reading the "process" of confession..how intimidating!

Question: you don't have first confession until you are ready to be brought into the Church at Easter right?

As I recall, one makes one's first confession immediately prior (a day or so) to confirmation and receiving communion. It varies. You will be taken care of.

BTW, it is not as intimidating as you feel it is. As we all felt. Now, I look back with some amusement about my concern over making my first confession. Each has been easier. Well, the process has been easier. However, each examination of conscience and act of contrition has been more difficult and each penance more heartfelt.

INsearch · **Posted:** Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:38 pm

Highlander wrote:

As I recall, one makes one's first confession immediately prior (a day or so) to confirmation and receiving communion. It varies. You will be taken care of.

.

Glad to know you get a lot of prep time.

Jayne · **Posted:** Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:07 am

If you find it intimidating, remember that there is always the option of anonymous confession. It is something I have just discovered (in that I only started use, I knew it was available) and I find it much easier and I am less likely to put it off. For the time being, I will only confess anonymously.

A guide for going to confession

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