Another confession question

[Don_Ruggero]

I feel like I’ve confessed the big ones that I knew then and know now were/are mortal sins. The thing I’m still struggling with is that in my past life (before joining Rcia and making a serious commitment to Christ) I committed lots of sins that I’m not sure if they are mortal or not, I was pretty sure they weren’t but then seen them on lots of examination of consciences, and then didn’t know. Mostly they are sins of omission, things like “did I fail to put God first” and “did I fail to treat another human as a person instead of an object to use”. It’s easier to fall into sin by not doing something than by actively doing it, but my previous lukewarm version of Protestantism I didn’t know acts of omission could even be a sin. I was also under the impression that all the things listed in the examinations were mortal so that’s what really had me worried. I think going forward I’ll do the examine as of my last confession and not keep going back in the past.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease

One has to be a bit cautious about formulae for examination of conscience when it comes to examining for sins of omission or when the rubric is a positive…such as the beatitudes or the virtues. If one transgressed a commandment, there is an act of some sort which indicates it…it also defines it as well as confines it. “Did I love God as fully as I could”, for example, is a question that admits of only one answer: no. But, the answer is on a tremendous sliding scale.

Examinations of conscience can, in part, elicit a renewal of one’s focus on God and the spiritual life and many are meant to do that. So, no, not everything on an examination of conscience is serious matter. It may raise, to the contrary, points that are rarely to never serious but that are occasion of frequent failures and shortfalls in the spiritual life.

You definitely should NOT be examining your conscience now for the past. The past is resolved by the confessions you have already made. If you remember something from the past, it can be brought to the sacrament. But above all, one should not be trying to dredge up past sins as a sort of on-going process. The past sins are forgiven sacramentally, those known and those forgotten, and they are to be consigned by the mind and by the will to God’s Divine Mercy.

Given the doubt you yourself have expressed and the lack of knowledge about sins of omission, there is no moral guilt to bring to the sacrament of penance. One can have regret for not knowing that acts one committed had a moral implication…but you are not, thereby, under the guilt of sin.

You are one who should take to heart the admonition that we use as priests: “Go in peace”.

 

[RickHull]

The priest prays in the beginning for the Holy Spirit to aid you in a good confession. Here’s what I have experienced:

I reread an examination of conscience in the back of my misal prior to confession.

After that, I trust the Holy Spirit to lead me and bring to remembrance what needs confessed-- sometimes things I missed in my examination the night prior! I MAKE CERTAIN I hold nothing back that is revealed to me and give as open and honest confession.

If I earnestly forget something, I am still absolved. I can confess next confession, but it’s not necessary.

 

[RickHull]

Oh, I forgot…

When the devil reminds you of your forgiven past, remind him of his unforgiven future.

God loves a contrite heart

 

[Charliesj]

One has to be a bit cautious about formulae for examination of conscience when it comes to examining for sins of omission or when the rubric is a positive…such as the beatitudes or the virtues. If one transgressed a commandment, there is an act of some sort which indicates it…it also defines it as well as confines it. “Did I love God as fully as I could”, for example, is a question that admits of only one answer: no. But, the answer is on a tremendous sliding scale.

Examinations of conscience can, in part, elicit a renewal of one’s focus on God and the spiritual life and many are meant to do that. So, no, not everything on an examination of conscience is serious matter. It may raise, to the contrary, points that are rarely to never serious but that are occasion of frequent failures and shortfalls in the spiritual life.

You definitely should NOT be examining your conscience now for the past. The past is resolved by the confessions you have already made. If you remember something from the past, it can be brought to the sacrament. But above all, one should not be trying to dredge up past sins as a sort of on-going process. The past sins are forgiven sacramentally, those known and those forgotten, and they are to be consigned by the mind and by the will to God’s Divine Mercy.

Given the doubt you yourself have expressed and the lack of knowledge about sins of omission, there is no moral guilt to bring to the sacrament of penance. One can have regret for not knowing that acts one committed had a moral implication…but you are not, thereby, under the guilt of sin.

You are one who should take to heart the admonition that we use as priests: “Go in peace”.

Thank you father, you have made me feel better. I have a tendency to think about things past the point of usefulness and drift into unnecessary worry ( something I need to work on, I know)

 

[exnihilo]

I feel like I’ve confessed the big ones that I knew then and know now were/are mortal sins. The thing I’m still struggling with is that in my past life (before joining Rcia and making a serious commitment to Christ) I committed lots of sins that I’m not sure if they are mortal or not, I was pretty sure they weren’t but then seen them on lots of examination of consciences, and then didn’t know. Mostly they are sins of omission, things like “did I fail to put God first” and “did I fail to treat another human as a person instead of an object to use”. It’s easier to fall into sin by not doing something than by actively doing it, but my previous lukewarm version of Protestantism I didn’t know acts of omission could even be a sin. I was also under the impression that all the things listed in the examinations were mortal so that’s what really had me worried. I think going forward I’ll do the examine as of my last confession and not keep going back in the past.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease

No, not everything in an examination of conscience is mortal. But remember that while we are obliged to confess mortal sins we can confess venial sins. Ideally we would be frequently confessing but be confessing venial sins. And ideally we will make progress with whatever are sins are, not matter how small the progress is.

As a convert from last year I can say it took me a while to get the hang of how to approach confession. I had to do a first confession covering decades. I did a thorough examination of conscience and made a good confession. There were times since, not immediately but a short time after when the memory of the confession faded a bit, that I worried if I missed something. I can only say maybe I did. But I also can’t say I absolutely did. That being the case there should be no doubt I had a good confession. I don’t recall holding anything back. So I should trust in the sacrament. Even if I have a feeling of doubt it is easily resolved by examining the facts which are that I am not aware of any sin I missed. Over time any doubt has lessened to the point of non existence.

And remember that God is not looking to catch you on some technicality. He is not looking to say ‘aha, now I can send you to Hell’. God is love and is merciful.