 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
examinnfaith
Member
| Joined: | Sun Nov 19th, 2006 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 12 |
| First Name: | examinnfaith | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Congregational, Episcopal, Lutheran, Nazarene, Baptist, Faith Center, Interdenominational, |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 01:58 am |
|
As I have moved along through RCIA this year, we have studied the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are thinking toward first communion during Lent. I have been a Protestant Christian all my life (way past 50 years). Many times(probably too many to easily count) I have 'sinned and come short of the glory of God' and prayed, in faith, believing that 'He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness'. Therefore, I asked my priest, what to include in my first confession. He said that all my sins needed to be confessed because the 'cycle' was incomplete. He suggested I do a 'lifetime confession' including number and kinds of all my sins which arise through my examination of conscience.
This has me thoroughly undone. First, I guess because I have trusted that I was forgiven for so many things! Secondly, what an overwhelming idea and practice! Take, for example, the sin of impatience in number. I have taught elementary children for 38 years, been the mother of two and grandmother of four, and oldest sister of four girls (just in thinking in the 'children' range.) This does not include my role as a daughter, a granddaughter, and a wife of 37 years! I've probably been impatient at least once, if not more like five or six, times a day. That multiplied by my advance number of years is a staggering 85,000 instances of this sin!
Maybe this seems foolish, but I am trying to explain why I left the church in tears and have not really gotten my emotional feet back under me since. If the Holy Spirit's job is to convict us of sin and that sin has been confessed, repented of and turned away from, is this just an exercise for causing me to recognize the fact that I am a sinner (not a doubt in my mind)? What is this asking for forgiveness of sins that I had, in faith, believed were forgiven? Is this a matter of submission to the authority of the Church over me? The Church says I need to confess again, so I go confess again? I am clearly lacking understanding of this first confession and lifetime confession.
I do understand the need for confessing sins that have been made clear to me as I have understood new teaching (i.e. tubal ligation) and those sins that have not been confessed since I started RCIA (for example).
Thanks for the chance to post this matter for clarification. Thanks for the time you will take to discuss it. I know that God has peace of mind for me in this short of giving up on my 'homeward' journey. However, I cannot think of it, at this point, without tears!
|
|
|
kimdyuma
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 710 |
| First Name: | Kim | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Anglican, Episcopal /Catholic-04/07/07 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 11:09 am |
|
| I am not an expert nor even Catholic yet but we do have confession in the Anglican church. Instead of remembering every episode of impatience(which is impossible, what if you leave some long forgotten instance out) I would confess that I have a problem with impatience and that over the course of my life I have responded to situations often with impatience- now that you understand the true meaning of forgiveness and repentence you are making a genuine effort to change, Once you start your confession it is easier and I am sure you will be prompted some.
____________________
Adopt from your local Humane Society- Please spay or neuter your pets
|
|
|
examinnfaith
Member
| Joined: | Sun Nov 19th, 2006 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 12 |
| First Name: | examinnfaith | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Congregational, Episcopal, Lutheran, Nazarene, Baptist, Faith Center, Interdenominational, |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 11:21 am |
|
Thank you for your thoughts. Now I see that I posted to the wrong strand! Opps! Now that this post is in the right place, I see, by reading this strand, some great thoughts on first confession. :?
I would still like to have thoughts of others on the 'already forgiven sins' and the 'cycle' not being complete questions.
|
|
|
charlie
Member
| Joined: | Fri Jan 26th, 2007 |
| Location: | South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 5 |
| First Name: | Charlie | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic / agnostic (rebellious 20s) / Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 12:20 pm |
|
Here is a link to what the Catechism says about the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
http://198.62.75.12/www1/CDHN/healing.html#RECONCILIATION
Especially paragraphs 1455-1458.
It is important to confess all serious (mortal) sins to be best of your ability. Confessing less serious (venial) sins is "not strictly necessary," although doing so is of value in helping you to form your conscience and to fight temptation. If you have made a valid confession, all of your sins are forgiven, even sins that you have forgotten and venial sins you have neglected to mention.
Fear not! If you need assistance, ask your priest to help you through the process as you confess.
The most important thing to remember is that Our Lord, in his infinite mercy and love, so deeply longs for reconciliation with you that he sacrificed his only Son to grant you forgiveness.
____________________
"The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words." Rom 8:26
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 12:54 pm |
|
examinnfaith wrote: He suggested I do a 'lifetime confession' including number and kinds of all my sins which arise through my examination of conscience.
First, remember that only mortal sins must be confessed. However, areas of sinfulness which you feel are important should also be mentioned.
For example, if you had an affair that lasted for five years, you should confess the affair, not the number of times you had intercourse. If you spent several years as a disbeliever, that would be what you would confess. It is the pattern and length that is important, not numbers. The priest will ask for clarification if he feels it is necessary.
You specifically mentioned impatience. It is enough to say that you have had a problem with impatience for your whole life.
As for sins that you thought were previously forgiven, that's really not relevant. We confess not only to recieve God's forgiveness, but also to receive forgiveness from the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Sin harms the entire body, and that's why Acts recounts the confession of sins to the entire community. In the Catholic Church, the priest stands not only in the place of Christ, but also as a representative of the community. Members of Protestant faiths and even non-Christians are part of the Body of Christ (although imperfectly) so sins committed prior to your entry into the Church are relevant and need to be confessed as well.
Also, we confess to receive guidance on how to deepen our relationship with God. The priest will offer spiritual advice on how to avoid sin in the future.
So look at it as a way to more fully unite yourself to the Body of Christ, and as an opportunity to improve your faith relationship with Jesus, not as a requirement to give the priest a "laundry list" of every improper thing you've ever done.
That's why a good examination of conscience is so important. It will help you to discover those patterns of sinfulness in your life that have kept you away from God, with the objective being that you will recieve the graces necessary to overcome them, at least some of the time, and to make the effort all of the time.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
Ruthie
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 06:17 pm |
|
I hope this doesn't sound funny, but when making a first lifetime confession or a confession after many years, would it be helpful if one took notes? Obviously, when doing an examination of conscience in a prayerful state, having asked the Holy Spirit to reveal sins that need confessing, there will be glaring examples. But just to keep a number of sins in mind that need confessing, is taking notes realistic? Esp. with a post middle age memory!
In my own case, I am waiting to resolve issues so that I can receive the Sacrament of reconciliation. I don't know how long I will have to wait, perhaps years yet. It is very difficult to live with mortal sins of which I became newly aware a year ago and can't go to confession. I have privately confessed to God and begged forgiveness. But when I am finally able to go to confession, I will have to bring these things up all over again and possibly the sins of my whole life. It still weighs on my mind. I'm afraid that as time goes by some of the less weighty sins that I've confessed to God alone will slip from my memory when it finally comes time that I can confess before a priest.
So has anyone made and used notes for the purpose of making a good confession or just depended on a good memory (which I don't have anymore)? Is this a good idea in any way, or impractical or unecessary?
____________________
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
|
|
|
David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1714 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 10:30 pm |
|
Notes are not really necessary, Ruthie, even with a failing memory. The reason is that as long as your confession is made in good faith and you have mentioned all the mortal sins you can remember, the absolution covers those you couldn’t remember as well. (This assumes you have recently made a proper examination of conscience.) Of course, if you should happen to remember later what you had forgotten, it’s a good idea to mention it next time you go to confession, just saying that it’s something that had slipped your mind in your previous confession.
Some priests are OK with a penitent bringing notes, especially a new Catholic. Others will ask you not to use them, that it smacks of scrupulosity. Personally, I have never used notes, not even as a new convert.
Remember, too, that venial sins do not have to be confessed. That is voluntary, because they can be forgiven in other ways. So you really don’t have to remember them at all. If you do, and they are bothering you, by all means feel free to mention them, but it’s not required.
How do you know a sin is venial? By an examination of conscience. You recognize a sin: Was it a grave sin? Did you realize it was a grave sin? Did you do it deliberately in spite of your knowledge? You have to answer “Yes” to all three questions for it to be a mortal sin.
DavidLast edited on Sat Jan 27th, 2007 10:59 pm by David W. Emery
|
|
|
BodRod
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 |
| Location: | Apple Valley, California USA |
| Posts: | 720 |
| First Name: | Cliff | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Raised an SDA, then Generic Christian, finally at home with ... |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 27th, 2007 10:49 pm |
|
<<<First, remember that only mortal sins must be confessed. However, areas of sinfulness which you feel are important should also be mentioned.>>>
That last part has been a BIG help to me. I have found that it can be quite difficult to change life patterns to the Christian style of living. It seemed like the "little things" were really getting in the way. So, I started taking them to Reconciliation. Fr. has been a BIG help to me, not only in giving me advice but also in encouragement and support. 
____________________
Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
|
|
|
Talithacumi
Member
| Joined: | Sat Sep 30th, 2006 |
| Location: | Eastern Ohio, USA |
| Posts: | 248 |
| First Name: | Cheri | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic - Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 28th, 2007 09:26 pm |
|
Ruthie wrote: So has anyone made and used notes for the purpose of making a good confession or just depended on a good memory (which I don't have anymore)? Is this a good idea in any way, or impractical or unecessary?
Ruthie,
Hi. I know what you mean about the bad memory... :? (this smiley looks to me like a half-embarrassed grin, and that's the way I'm using it...). Anyway, despite the fact that we don't necessarily have to "list" every [venial] sin we've ever committed, and despite the idea that it might look overscrupulous, I personally just don't like feeling like I've left something out that I meant to confess.
Have I ever used notes? At least once... One time when my pastor was relatively new in our parish, I was having one of those nervous moments (especially since I hadn't gone to confession to him much since he was new). I wanted to make sure I wouldn't forget what I had in mind to say (my memory just isn't too good! :?). Oh, and I always go face-to-face... so here I am walking into the confessional to this new priest with a "list" in my hand which I referred to as I was talking. I noticed he looked at me kind of funny. I had the distinct impression that he didn't care for the fact that I was using notes. He just didn't know me well at the time. I knew I wasn't just rattling off some dirty laundry list, but I'm not so sure what he thought. As I noticed his discomfort I tried to explain that I just needed the notes to refer to in order to help me remember and organize my thoughts. He kind of nodded but still didn't look totally convinced, so I haven't used notes since.
That being said, I do seem to remember hearing a priest say once that it was OK to use notes if it will help you. I think it really just depends on the priest. If you're comfortable enough with him and he knows you well enough to know that you're truly desirous of growing in the love of God and you're not just ticking off a list as some sort of obligatory religious thing that will hopefully get you a ticket to Heaven, then it's probably OK to use them if you think it will help. But if the priest looks uncomfortable it's probably as David said - some priests think of it as being a sign of overscrupulosity.
If you're not sure where you stand with the priest, I probably wouldn't use notes. But I personally don't see the harm in referring to the written word when you're trying to sort your thoughts and remember what you want to say. Personally, writing has always been a way for me to organize my thoughts - at least a little bit  .
Anyway, just my 1 cent worth...
JMJ
- Cheri
____________________
“We do not want a Church that will move with the world; we want a Church that will move the world.”
- G.K. Chesterton
|
|
|
Ruthie
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 28th, 2007 11:55 pm |
|
David and Cheri:
Thanks for your thoughtful replies. They have helped me to fine tune what I was thinking about in reference to notes. I was actually thinking more of making notes to myself of reminders for confession. Just writing them would help me to keep them in mind better. I never thought of actually taking them into the confessional with me to read from or even refer to. But I might refer to them just before I went and leave them at home. More like journaling.
Just the thought of writing down my sins bothers me though, and when I thought of making the attempt, I couldn’t do it. Too painful. But then it might be therapeutic to return home from making my confession and delete them into oblivion or burn them. It would bring home the reality of having my sins absolved. (Can’t wait for that day!)
Examinnfaith:
Meanwhile, I hope all this discussion is helpful to you. I hope you can figure out how to make a good confession without too much anxiety over how to do it and what to include. I would think the priest himself would be helpful and guide you. You are not the only one to make a first confession at an older age or after many years. Father Corapi talks of making a confession after many years of a wayward life, 20 or so. He also talked of hearing his own father’s confession, who had made his last confession 50 years previously. You just know there had to be a lot there to confess and they were able to do it. So I’m sure it will go okay for you too.
I understand your shock at having to do over something you thought was done already. On another note, I thought I had been confirmed validly 35 years ago. When I became Catholic in 1989, I was told that my confirmation was valid. I just found out last fall that it was not valid, so when I can finally “come home” again (I don’t know when that will be), I will want to be confirmed again. Still it was a shock to find that out after so many years thinking I had been confirmed.
Ruthie
Last edited on Sun Jan 28th, 2007 11:57 pm by Ruthie
____________________
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
|
|
|
Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 877 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 31st, 2007 12:08 am |
|
cajunrick wrote: examinnfaith wrote: He suggested I do a 'lifetime confession' including number and kinds of all my sins which arise through my examination of conscience.
First, remember that only mortal sins must be confessed. However, areas of sinfulness which you feel are important should also be mentioned.
Ok, this has me confused. Why? Because this evening on Threshold of Hope, someone emailed Father Pacwa a question about confession along this very line. The person mentioned that he had been to confession recently and the priest told him that he only had to confess mortal sin. Father Pacwa said that was not the case. And then he said something interesting. He said for everyone just to think about that for a moment. "If that were the case, everyone who is in line for confession would know that everyone else there was only there to confess mortal sin." The point is, Father Pacwa disagreed with what the other priest said. So, who am I to believe?
For example, if you had an affair that lasted for five years, you should confess the affair, not the number of times you had intercourse. If you spent several years as a disbeliever, that would be what you would confess. It is the pattern and length that is important, not numbers. The priest will ask for clarification if he feels it is necessary.
You specifically mentioned impatience. It is enough to say that you have had a problem with impatience for your whole life.
As for sins that you thought were previously forgiven, that's really not relevant. We confess not only to recieve God's forgiveness, but also to receive forgiveness from the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Sin harms the entire body, and that's why Acts recounts the confession of sins to the entire community. In the Catholic Church, the priest stands not only in the place of Christ, but also as a representative of the community. Members of Protestant faiths and even non-Christians are part of the Body of Christ (although imperfectly) so sins committed prior to your entry into the Church are relevant and need to be confessed as well.
Also, we confess to receive guidance on how to deepen our relationship with God. The priest will offer spiritual advice on how to avoid sin in the future.
So look at it as a way to more fully unite yourself to the Body of Christ, and as an opportunity to improve your faith relationship with Jesus, not as a requirement to give the priest a "laundry list" of every improper thing you've ever done.
That's why a good examination of conscience is so important. It will help you to discover those patterns of sinfulness in your life that have kept you away from God, with the objective being that you will recieve the graces necessary to overcome them, at least some of the time, and to make the effort all of the time.
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 31st, 2007 12:31 am |
|
Darlene wrote: cajunrick wrote: examinnfaith wrote: He suggested I do a 'lifetime confession' including number and kinds of all my sins which arise through my examination of conscience.
First, remember that only mortal sins must be confessed. However, areas of sinfulness which you feel are important should also be mentioned.
Ok, this has me confused. Why? Because this evening on Threshold of Hope, someone emailed Father Pacwa a question about confession along this very line. The person mentioned that he had been to confession recently and the priest told him that he only had to confess mortal sin. Father Pacwa said that was not the case. And then he said something interesting. He said for everyone just to think about that for a moment. "If that were the case, everyone who is in line for confession would know that everyone else there was only there to confess mortal sin." The point is, Father Pacwa disagreed with what the other priest said. So, who am I to believe?
The difference is between "must" and "should". Only mortal sins must be confessed. However, any spiritual problem areas should be confessed. In this example, impatience was singled out. If I find that impatience causes me a real problem, it should be confessed even if it does not rise to the level of a mortal sin.
Most of us, frankly, do not commit mortal sins easily. The conditions for a mortal sin are that is must be a grave evil that we knowingly and willingly commit. When we utter a bad word, are we truly wishing to damn someone to hell eternally? If not, then it's not a mortal sin, and we are not required to confess it. But that doesn't mean we should not go to confession. The most likely mortal sin for most of us is failure to attend mass for trivial reasons.
We go to confession for several reasons. First, to seek forgiveness for any mortal sins we have committed. Second, to help assuage our guilt for our failure to put God first in our lives, and our failures to love our neighbors as ourselves. And third, to seek guidance in ways to improve our spiritual lives. That's why it's so important to confess patterns of sinfulness. As humans, we become accustomed to things and they seem less significant. We are all dulled to language, clothing, and behavior that only a few decades ago would have been unthinkable. When I was a kid, a girl would have been humiliated to show her panties or bra, while today you can't go to the mall without seeing undergarments. A trip to the beach, even at family-friendly public beaches, reveals so much skin that little is left to the imagination. Those beach party movies that were scandalous when I was a teenager look absolutely quaint today. More skin is revealed in TV commercials!
So if we become inured to language or actions that once would have offended us, it's easy to slip into a mortally sinful act. Confessing such temptations before they become mortally sinful helps us to avoid ever having to confess a mortal sin.
So we must confess all mortal sins, but we should also confess those sins that leave us feeling guilty, and those problem areas we find ourselves returning to over and over again.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
Darlene
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 877 |
| First Name: | Darlene | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian, trusting His love and forgiveness |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 31st, 2007 03:48 pm |
|
| Thanks Rick. I appreciate the clarification.
____________________
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14
|
|
|
JillD
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 600 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 31st, 2007 11:46 pm |
|
| There are reasons I am going to bring a list with me to my first Confession. I'm 51 years old! That's a lot of years of not being right with God. I want to get all the worst ones off my chest the first time or else I will absolutely, with certainty, forget some and have to carry them around until the next time. And they'll keep bubbling to the surface for quite awhile, too. Actually, I'll bet there are some which are not on my list which will come to mind with time. I just don't want to be plagued by these nagging sins forever!
____________________
"The alternative to obedience is to turn the conversation into a cacophony of Christians making it up as they go along." - Fr. Richard John Neuhaus
|
|
|
susiedear
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 4th, 2007 12:17 pm |
|
I'm with you, Jill. I'm 48 and have a mighty long list. I love the idea of burning the list when my first confession is through and I hear those blessed words of absolution.
Reading this thread was immensely beneficial to me. Thanks to all who contributed.
Elizabeth
____________________
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
|
|
|
bjbouwer
Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Wisconsin USA |
| Posts: | 50 |
| First Name: | Bonnie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Christian Scientist, pinball Christian, RCC in 2006 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 4th, 2007 08:30 pm |
|
Jill and Elisabeth --
I was 53 last year when I made my first confession - and believe me, I took notes with me! I had 25 years of garbage to dump, and as I reviewed for the first confession, I realized I wasn't going to remember everything when I sat in front of Fr and was nervous, etc.
I still consider taking notes with me, simply because I tend to get pretty scrambled when it's time to talk about my problems. 
I love reading your posts, guys - it takes me back to last year when I was going through a huge withdrawal (almost backed out of RCIA) and then later a sudden surge to go ahead. COnfession was the biggest issue and had me really running. But then there was CHN - and all the wonderful people here (Rick, David, etc), and I got back on track.
Last edited on Sun Feb 4th, 2007 08:31 pm by bjbouwer
____________________
Bonnie in WI
|
|
|
examinnfaith
Member
| Joined: | Sun Nov 19th, 2006 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 12 |
| First Name: | examinnfaith | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Congregational, Episcopal, Lutheran, Nazarene, Baptist, Faith Center, Interdenominational, |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 8th, 2007 12:39 am |
|
 I am so thankful to all who have responded to my frantic questions!! I appreciate all the thoughts and guidance. I am making headway again. I am sure other stumbling blocks will come up, but I am trusting God to make a way for me (possibly through the faithful witness of those of you in this forum!!).
Thank you again!!
|
|
|
wwjd
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jan 11th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 30 |
| First Name: | wwjd | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Catholic as of 4/7/07! |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 23rd, 2007 11:28 am |
|
| I wish that I'd read this section before making my first confession. I didn't take notes with me but did take a pamplet on Guide to Confession that I was told was allowed. It lists the ten commandments then a list of questions to ponder under each. I thought back over my life during the week before confession and read over this guide several times. I didn't feel nervous at all about going to confession so I didn't write anything down. When I entered the confessional, I knelt and as I started to speak, my mind went completely blank! I froze and panicked! I tried referring to my guide but all the words just seemed to run together, my palms got sweaty....I just knew the Priest was going to tell me to go away and come back when I was better prepared. Things did start coming back to me and I think I did remember the mortal sins. I did ask for forgiveness for those things I had forgotten but I later felt that my confession was incomplete, that maybe by not making a list I had not duly examined my conscious. When I asked, Father told me the sins I had forgotten are still "forgiven and forgotten". I don't want to be guilty of sin in not accepting God's forgiveness so should I just thank God for this opportunity and remember to confess any sins I have remembered when I go to my next confession? Will I be bringing damnation upon myself by receiving the Eucharist?
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 23rd, 2007 11:43 am |
|
wwjd wrote: I don't want to be guilty of sin in not accepting God's forgiveness so should I just thank God for this opportunity and remember to confess any sins I have remembered when I go to my next confession? Will I be bringing damnation upon myself by receiving the Eucharist?
No. Our Church tells us that any mortal sins we truly forget to confess are forgiven anyway. However, we do have an obligation to confess those sins as soon as possible once we remember them.
If you remember a mortal sin and deliberately choose not to confess it, the original absolution is still effective and that sin is still forgiven; however, you would have committed an additional sin of the same gravity by deliberately not confessing it.
So at this point, your sins are forgiven and you have been granted absolution, so you may fully participate in mass and receive the Eucharist. You are obligated to confess any mortal sins you subsequently remember as soon as conveniently possible (like, you don't have to run down a priest to go to confession, but go the next chance you get; it is already forgiven, so there's no urgency).
The reason you confess a sin already forgiven is to give the priest an opportunity for spiritual guidance. It is assumed that if the sin is a truly grave one (murder, idolatry, abortion, adultry, etc.) you would not forget it, but there is a possibility you could be nervous enough at the idea of confessing it that you could overlook it. The fact that you submit to the authority of the Church is enough for forgiveness, but it still has to be enumerated so that the priest can counsel you.
On the other hand, if you deliberately withhold a mortal sin, not only is it not forgiven, but you commit another sin as well by lying to the priest.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
Gnyssa
Member
| Joined: | Sat Nov 18th, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 29 |
| First Name: | Gnyssa | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Episcopalian, Roman Catholic since 2003, RC priest 2006 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2007 11:05 pm |
|
It is not uncommon for people to say that they remembered sins, after they made a confession. This is to say, they honestly made a mistake, forgot, got nervous or whatever and remembered a sin later. This happens to me a lot.
It is important to remember that God gave us the Sacrament of Confession to heal us - not to make us more guilty. That we remember later an unconfessed sin is a sign of grace - once you let the Holy Spirit in to do some housecleaning, He finds all sorts of stuff you need to throw in the trash. So do not be distressed that you recall a sin you accidentally omitted in confession - just add that to your next confession and praise God for His mercy.
You should not feel rushed in your confession. Just do not panic, take a deep breath, and speak to the priest candidly. You will not be telling him anything he has not heard many times before. I spent an hour and a half in the confessional this afternoon - my record is five hours on a weekend. Its never time wasted. A priest who does not have time for confessions needs a good retreat and a confession of his own. Please pray for your priests.
Father Gnyssa
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 28th, 2007 11:15 pm |
|
Gnyssa wrote: A priest who does not have time for confessions needs a good retreat and a confession of his own. Please pray for your priests.
What you say is true, HOWEVER, have the decency not to try a lifetime confession (or anything else you know will take a very long time) during scheduled hours. Can you imagine being the next person in line waiting through a five-hour confession? Or sitting in church waiting for mass to begin when someone decides it's time for their "lifetime confession" during a half-hour of confessions before mass?
If you expect your confession to take more than a few minutes, you should schedule an appointment with the priest. As Gnyssa says, any priest who does not have time for confessions needs a good retreat, but that does not mean he'll have time for a lengthy confession at any given moment.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
heardclarke
Member
| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | Dallas Area, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 197 |
| First Name: | Lisa | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Episcopalian; confirmed RC Easter 2005 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed May 16th, 2007 05:23 pm |
|
Dear friends,
Yes, there is confession in the Anglican church, and I went to confession back in 1996. I confessed some seriously mortal sins. I received | | |
