1st confession,all sins since birth?

[IneedGod]

I have started to think about my first confession.
I think sins I ask forgiveness for in a prodestant church still need to be confessed? However, I am not a youngster so there are a lot of years to think about.
Am I really supposd to recall ALL of them and confess?

LOL to bad there is not a statute of limitations lol Jk!!

 

[jwinch2]

I have started to think about my first confession.
I think sins I ask forgiveness for in a prodestant church still need to be confessed? However, I am not a youngster so there are a lot of years to think about.
Am I really supposd to recall ALL of them and confess?

LOL to bad there is not a statute of limitations lol Jk!!

You are supposed to confess everything that you remember as this will be your first confession.

I did my first one about a year and a half ago. I approached it in two ways:

1. I went phase by phase through my life and tried to write down everything I could remember in terms of sins I was struggling with/tendencies that I had, etc. For example, early childhood, elementary school, junior high, high school, college, the army, etc… It will not be possible for you to name and number all of your sins at various stages in your life. So I would recommend focusing on the types of sins you were prone to commit at various points in your past and be ready to provide some examples if needed in case the priest has questions.
2. I went through a thorough examination of conscience based on the 10 commandments and teachings of the Church. There are many useful tools to help with that process.

I strongly advise you to come prepared, with notes, for your first confession. If you are like me, you are a bit nervous and also wondering if it is real, will it feel different, is it too good to be true, etc. Properly preparing so that you know you gave it your absolute best shot at remembering and confessing your sins. Also, I would suggest scheduling a time to meet with a priest outside of the normal confession times. I was fortunate to have a priest who was a late vocation and had a bit of a past of his own before coming into the Church and eventually the priesthood. Because of that, we just sat and talked for about a half hour before we even started the confession. After the confession we did the same before he gave me a penance and absolution in the person of Christ. I was there for a long time, but it was a wonderful experience and I would not change how it went.

Remember that part of going to confession is for the priest to help you in your struggle with sin. Being thorough can help the priest to spot trends in your life, make links that you might not have otherwise seen, etc. Having a regular confessor who knows you and can help you see these things is a blessing.

Good luck, and God bless.

Peace,

 

[LilyM]

For your first confession I would concentrate firstly on mortal sins. These are sins that you knew were serious at the time you did them and chose to do anyway.

Then mention any other sins that are particularly troubling you, either because they’re frequent or they’ve had a hold on you for a long time. And seek advice on any that you are unsure about.

God is not giving you a memory test in the sacrament - you’re not going to flunk if ykur memory is worse than the next guy’s. Just make sure you spend time systematically examining your conscience and note down what you do remember. Then don’t hold anything back that you know to be mortal.