Confession Cheat Sheet

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brittrossiter said:
I’ve never had ***that ***particular penance requested of me… 😃
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That’s hillarious. Just thought I would let you know.

I keep my cheat sheet as a bookmark in the book I’m currently reading. It works three ways, first off I’m the only one in my house who would touch the book because everything I read is “boring” so it keeps it safe, and second I have the book with me almost all the time so it’s not something extra to carry around and thirdly, it makes use of itself keeping my page for me. 😛
 
Most of the posts on this thread deal with the anxiety of forgetting sins when in the confessional. I am reminded of what a priest once told my 5th grade class when we were learning how to make our First Reconciliation: “You might, and probably will, forget at least one (probably more) sin when confessing in your entire life. But that’s okay, because God knows that you are sorry, even if you did not confess it at the time of confession.” I was comforted by this statement, but like the ideas presented in this thread. I am most definitely going to start a Sacrament Journal with sections for each sacrament. Thank you soooooo much for the great ideas!😃 Keep up the good work!👍
 
Most times I use a confession cheat sheet; otherwise I forget. I reverted after 20 yrs Protestant, and the priest at that time did not even mention making a general confession. It was not a good start – a wish I could do that over, and it troubled me for many years. But a few years ago, I went to a retreat preached by the holiest priests I have ever seen. During it, I FINALLY had the courage to make a general confession, praise God! You should have seen my list then – it was 2 pages of 6x9 lined paper!!! I was very nervous & told the priest my situation, how I never made a general confession & how long my list of sins was and worried that I would take too much time as people were waiting. He calmly smiled and gently said, “Take all the time you need; there’s no rush—that’s why we are here.” I floated out of that confessional on a cloud of incredible relief and peace with a terrible burden lifted from my soul.
 
I have made “cheat sheets” before. I also make them for my kids (ages 10 & 13) with the order of confession written out on it so they don’t forget & waste time when 4 other people are waiting as well! (they write their own sins!) They get nervous when they’re in with Fr. for confession, even though they know him well–just like all of us, I guess. :o
 
sparkletina said:
Most times I use a confession cheat sheet; otherwise I forget. I reverted after 20 yrs Protestant, and the priest at that time did not even mention making a general confession. It was not a good start – a wish I could do that over, and it troubled me for many years. But a few years ago, I went to a retreat preached by the holiest priests I have ever seen. During it, I FINALLY had the courage to make a general confession, praise God! You should have seen my list then – it was 2 pages of 6x9 lined paper!!! I was very nervous & told the priest my situation, how I never made a general confession & how long my list of sins was and worried that I would take too much time as people were waiting. He calmly smiled and gently said, “Take all the time you need; there’s no rush—that’s why we are here.” I floated out of that confessional on a cloud of incredible relief and peace with a terrible burden lifted from my soul.
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How cool is that? 👍

BTW, I like your screen name.

Myself, I thought about keeping notes–my memory has been slipping. But I have a tendency to over-scrupularize stuff, so I did not. I’m thinking maybe a notebook might be a good idea and a good excuse to use my fountain pens.
 
Newbie2 said:
Confession goes high-tech. 👍
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How about putting all your sins in a Excel spreadsheet, so then you could graph any “trends”? (“Hmmm…Although there’s been an overall decline in sinfulness, there still seems to be a disturbing spike in taking the Lord’s name in vain…”)

Maybe a PowerPoint presentation (although I would tend to avoid using animations…).

Uh oh, it just occurred to me: Twitter! “Prada shoes! O noes…COVETING!!!1!”
 
I used to bring a sheet into confession to list the sins that I had done. But my confessor suggested to me not to bring one, but that was just for me. Now that I don’t bring one, I’m not so worried afterwards when I’ve forgotten one. When I had the list and I accidentally skipped one, I would always second guess myself and wonder whether or not I had done it on purpose and I would have to repeat the whole list again. Now that I don’t bring a list and I forget one, I know I didn’t do it on purpose and I’ll just say it the next time I go. I was forgiven anyway! 🙂
 
I’ve taken a list before, but priests have told me to be sure and destroy it right after. While I’ve never eaten it before like Eddie Mac, but I have put it through the shredder. 😃

Maybe I should have my shredder blessed since it helps keep the sacramental seal. 😉
 
There is no such thing as a “Cheat sheet.” Who would you be cheating? These are your sins? I would advise you NOT to use a paper and just tell God what’s on your mind and if you need help,. the priest with the power of the Holy Spirit will intercede.

You should not approach a Confessional like a grocery shop bringing your list of sins with you.

Just tell Father what’s on your mind and if you forget, those sins will be taken away.

Do you realize when Father gives Absolution, it takes all of your former sins away, too.
 
Provigli,

Sorry, but some of us need the list. Your tone smacks of a put-down. Without the list, I can’t even do a Confession. I can even forget what I’ve done in the last hour. Not everyone is gifted with a good memory.

Every good Priest will tell you to tear apart or burn the list you brought with you (providing its paper; if digital, you delete it) so you won’t have to worry about the sin being covered in Confession since it was already done and its a waste of time to put a Confession date on each entry to remind yourself it was done. Simply put, if your book is blank, then there’s nothing to confess for next Confession.
 
Provigil said:
There is no such thing as a “Cheat sheet.” Who would you be cheating? These are your sins? I would advise you NOT to use a paper and just tell God what’s on your mind and if you need help,. the priest with the power of the Holy Spirit will intercede.

You should not approach a Confessional like a grocery shop bringing your list of sins with you.

Just tell Father what’s on your mind and if you forget, those sins will be taken away.

Do you realize when Father gives Absolution, it takes all of your former sins away, too.
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Well, I am not trying to cheat anyone. The term cheat sheet refers to notes used as a quick reference:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheat_sheet

I have found that in addition to having the “cheat sheet” help me to not forget to say something in confession, it also causes me to better examine my life and sins. That way I can find areas that I need to work on.

You are right, if you forget a sin, it is still forgiven. But, even though that is true, I still like to list all that I can. In addition to being absolved and receiving grace, it can be a lesson in humility, which might be lessened if I forgot sins (especially on an ongoing basis).

Everyone is free to use whatever method they want, I started this thread because I have recently started going to confession after a very long absence and wondered how others accomplish remember one’s sins.
 
I mentioned previously my general confession with 2 6x9 papers delineating all my sins? Well, since I had been raised Catholic, was agnostic/atheist for a time, returned but felt alienated (my immediate family had all left by this time), left again for two decades in the Protestant churches–at the top of my list I confessed to apostasy & heresy! And, the fact that since I was one of the oldest in my extended family, the first to bolt from the Catholic Church, my cousins told me later it made it easier for them to leave (something I am not proud of today)! Whoo! After, that I have to admit, it was downhill from there! 😃
 
I use a cheat sheet based on the Catholic Book of Prayers. It has an extensive list of those pesky little sins I tend to forget. It’s easy to remember that I didn’t kill, steal or commit adultery but some of the others slip by too easily. It helps to list them out and then resolve to stop and think before I go down that same wayward path
 
Seremina:

God bless you.

Do whatever you think is right.
PROVIGIL
 
Dear Regression:

It is not necessary to use "Cheat Sheets which is a term I never heard of.

As I said, no one should be afraid to go into the Confessional because God and the Holy Spirit are waiting for you.

The reason I mention to you about a CHeat SHeet, I did this one time and I read word for word and the priest walked out of the confessional saying: “I can’t take this anymore.”

Just do the best you can and as I said, whatever sin you forgot will be forgiven.

I told you that when you are given absolution, all SINS of the past are forgiven .

If you are really having difficulties, ask the priest if there is a simple way of going to confession. You realize that these priests are trained for this Sacrament.

In essence, as a Monsignor told me, if you confess that you have sinned against “CHARITY” this includes everything.

But to what you think is best for you.

May the Holy Spirit Guide you and lessen your fear of confession. When we approach the confessional, God is there as a loving God with unconditional love. He doesn’t keep track of our sins. Do the best you can and the sins you omitted or forgot are taken away.

Be at PEACE.

Asking God’s blessing on you, I am
PROVIGIL
 
Sailor:

You are always forbidden to make a general confession because it leads up to being scrupulous.

Do you think GOd wants you to spend that much time writing down all those sins?

Since you are a convert, it would really be easy to have been forgiven without a list of those sins.

Usually the priest will say whatever sins you have , I absolve you from all your sins.

That is how simple it is.

PROVIGIL
 
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