A question about confession and a request for some advice

[Ioana]

Ok, let me begin by saying sorry for asking for personal advice. I’m thinking about going to confession tomorrow since I haven’t been in 3 weeks and would like to go and since I know it is a requirement to be able to gain plenary indulgences and there’s been some death in the past couple of months and thus there are people I want to pray for. I’d have several concerns though.

1. My list is pretty short. I’ve been trying not to do anything very bad these past weeks. As such it would probably be a list of a couple of sins done many times
2. Although I love the priest at our parish I don’t feel comfortable going to him. The reason is that I had a very long and pretty bad list the first time I came and he was very empathetic. The second time I came I kind of felt a need to repeat the same things in confession + have been told I’m scrupulous (probably true)+ have been told not to confess a sin twice although I had done it again (which confused me a bit but I guess it isn’t what he meant and I misunderstood). Anyhow I don’t like going to him (although he really is my only option) because he knows me, and I’m afraid about what he thinks/will think about me and because he’s too nice to me.
3. Can you hold back venial sins in confession?
4. If you forget a mortal sin in a past confession must you bring it up at the next one? What if it was very closely related to another sin and you might’ve confessed it already but don’t remember doing so+ you’ve been told not to confess things twice and told you are scrupulous and all
5. Should you still receive the Eucharist at the Mass before if you have no mortal sins? Isn’t it kinda weird since the Eucharist forgives venial sins so how do you justify going to confession right after?

Thank you for any answers and sorry for the weird question

 

[Mavzylor]

1. It doesn’t matter how short your list is.
2. Reconciliation is about confessing your sins, so your priest is expecting to hear bad things, and has heard bad things from plenty of people if he’s been a priest for a while. Any negative thoughts your priest might have about you are his own sins to worry about, you just need to worry about reconciling with God.
3. You can not hold back venial sins.
4. You don’t need to bring up forgotten sins the next time you go to Reconciliation.
5. You can receive the Eucharist if you aren’t in a state of mortal sin, and even when venial sins are forgiven, Reconciliation still gives you the grace to sin less and resist future temptations. It also gives you Penance to atone for your sins. Just, because you are forgiven, doesn’t mean the damage of your sins are undone.