Confession for younger people

[yorks_pudd]

I am a 13 year old boy and commited an awful sin which I am deeply ashamed of, masturbation. I really want to go to confession but I am so embarrassed and nervous because the priest knows me well. What should I do?

Thank you.

 

[JimG]

I am a 13 year old boy and commited an awful sin which I am deeply ashamed of, masturbation. I really want to go to confession but I am so embarrassed and nervous because the priest knows me well. What should I do?

Thank you.

Don’t be embarrassed. This is probably one of the most common sins heard in confession. It won’t faze the priest at all. If you would rather confess to a priest you don’t know, you could do that. But even if he knows you, it won’t matter. He will just think well of you for coming to confession.

 

[Brendan_64]

I am a 13 year old boy and commited an awful sin which I am deeply ashamed of, masturbation. I really want to go to confession but I am so embarrassed and nervous because the priest knows me well. What should I do?

Thank you.

Go to a priest that you don’t know. Go to another parish, and if it helps find a confessional box with a grille and confess through that. And, embarrassing as it may seem, what you will be confessing will be confessed by a great many people, the priest will not be even the slightest bit shocked.

 

[TimothyH]

They have heard much worse.

Say, “I have been impure with myself”, that’s all.

Just go.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Take a deep breath and just go to confession. Your priest has heard it all.

Wanna know what makes me not do certain sins? I don’t want to confess them. True story.

 

[dshix]

Wanna know what makes me not do certain sins? I don’t want to confess them. True story.

Bingo. And it helps when you go to confession often, like every week or two weeks; you’re so scared to confess that sin in your upcoming confession that you can stop yourself when the temptation comes.

 

[Jon_S_1]

I am a 13 year old boy and commited an awful sin which I am deeply ashamed of, masturbation. I really want to go to confession but I am so embarrassed and nervous because the priest knows me well. What should I do?

Thank you.

Go to confession. The priest hears this sin often and probably has struggled himself with it at your age. Don’t be embarrassed. Go, confess, and ask for help in how to fight this sin.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Bingo. And it helps when you go to confession often, like every week or two weeks; you’re so scared to confess that sin in your upcoming confession that you can stop yourself when the temptation comes.

:yup:

 

[Mr_Clean]

Fear not. Too bad more 13 year olds aren’t like you.

 

[truetofaith]

All the above answers are right on target!

You should go to a priest who doesn’t know you…

Be ashamed of sinning but don’t be afraid of confessing. I hate to sound negative, but this may not be the only time you commit this sin. Pray for help!

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I am a 13 year old boy and commited an awful sin which I am deeply ashamed of, masturbation. I really want to go to confession but I am so embarrassed and nervous because the priest knows me well. What should I do?

Thank you.

I am happy to know that you have a conscience about this at your age. You are on the right track. Go to confession and don’t worry.

 

[TeenageConvert]

I think every practicing Catholic guy has confessed this sin before. Don’t let the shame stop you from receiving absolution, your priest won’t think anything less of you.

 

[dshix]

I think every practicing Catholic guy has confessed this sin before. Don’t let the shame stop you from receiving absolution, your priest won’t think anything less of you.

Heh, I should hope that we Catholic men haven’t fallen that badly. Let’s not assume that all of our men have; I know many men that have not fallen for such a sin, and I haven’t myself.

 

[Convert_in_99]

Don’t worry people like me have already broken in your confessor

It’s so nice to hear of youth recognizing sin. Jesus is so happy with you. Just tell him sorry in confession and it will be gone forever. The sacrament will also give you grace to help you not fall into this sin in the future. Pray to your guardian angel and saint Michael for added protection:thumbsup:

 

[Brendan_64]

Fear not. Too bad more 13 year olds aren’t like you.

 

[Brendan_64]

Heh, I should hope that we Catholic men haven’t fallen that badly. Let’s not assume that all of our men have; I know many men that have not fallen for such a sin, and I haven’t myself.

I would suspect that you are in an extremely small minority.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Heh, I should hope that we Catholic men haven’t fallen that badly. Let’s not assume that all of our men have; I know many men that have not fallen for such a sin, and I haven’t myself.

Weird. While I agree that the tired old joke of 99 percent of men masturbate and 1 percent lie about it is cliche and a secular excuse. I find it odd that you know a group of men who have not, from birth to adulthood, masturbated. How did that topic even come up and how would you even know what sin they have confessed. Either way your chest thumping does little to help the OP.

 

[buc_fan33]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to add my two cents to something that is commonly said, and that is the advice that a penitent should purposefully go to a confessor that he or she does not know. I’m going to disagree with that advice. The writings of the saints recommend having a regular confessor that, by definition, one knows well. While, yes, absolution is the key thing, and any priest can give it to any penitent, speaking as both a penitent and confessor, there is so much more that a priest who knows his penitent well can offer in the sacrament. In fact, I can’t think of one saint who suggested bouncing around to different confessors. I can think of countless who recommended having a regular confessor.

Among the benefits to knowing your confessor are the following that I can think of:

1. It’s an added deterrent to not fall into whatever sin may need healing (the embarrassment factor)
2. He knows you and can offer more personalized advice. This would change based on age, gender, family situation, and a whole host of other factors.
3. He has a better sense of knowing if a particular sin is an ongoing struggle, or a one-time fall. This will change his advice.

While, yes, the sacraments work ex opere operato, and theologically speaking, in the sacrament we are confessing to Christ, that doesn’t change the fact that Christ still uses regular people to mediate his grace through the sacrament. He uses regular people with normal struggles and limitations, but also different gifts. For the penitent to have the best experience in the sacrament of reconciliation, he or she should A) go often (approximately once a month or so) and B) have a regular confessor.

 

[dshix]

Weird. While I agree that the tired old joke of 99 percent of men masturbate and 1 percent lie about it is cliche and a secular excuse. I find it odd that you know a group of men who have not, from birth to adulthood, masturbated. How did that topic even come up and how would you even know what sin they have confessed. Either way your chest thumping does little to help the OP.

Chest thumping? I object to your temperamental lingo. I responded in disagreement to the idea that we must assume that all (or nearly all) Catholic men have masturbated, and I believe that is an unnecessary, pointless, and utterly valueless assumption. There are certainly many men who struggle with masturbation, but I find it ridiculous that we should assume that all of them do, just so we can make those who do masturbate feel better, because “they are the majority”.

We need to stop making excuses for ourselves and just face the issue for what it is. We need to support men who struggle with it, certainly, but there is no need to tell them that “everyone struggles with it, don’t worry” just to make them feel better about it.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Chest thumping? I object to your temperamental lingo. I responded in disagreement to the idea that we must assume that all (or nearly all) Catholic men have masturbated, and I believe that is an unnecessary, pointless, and utterly valueless assumption. There are certainly many men who struggle with masturbation, but I find it ridiculous that we should assume that all of them do, just so we can make those who do masturbate feel better, because “they are the majority”.

We need to stop making excuses for ourselves and just face the issue for what it is. We need to support men who struggle with it, certainly, but there is no need to tell them that “everyone struggles with it, don’t worry” just to make them feel better about it.

I agree with your premise and what you are trying to say. Your implementation of it came across as rather elitist and ridiculous. And does absolutely NOTHING to help a 13 year old boy who is scared to confess this sin.

Have you read the Youcat on the subject? I wonder what your thoughts are about that?