Confession, is it ok to bring in written down sins?

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I am wondering if I can keep a note of sins I have committed so that I could know exactly what I needed to confess. I am wondering If I can bring in my note to confess all the sins which I once noted down?

Is this an ok practise? or do the sins need to be “Memorised” or am I supposed to simply bring in myself and do it on the spot based on Sins I can remember then and there?
 
I’m not aware of any problem with this. In fact, this seems like the outcome of a very serious examination of conscience. I often jot down some notes to remind me of things I want to confess. My memory isn’t strong enough for me to memorize everything! :confused:

God Bless.
 
Yeah, write them down and bring it on a small piece of paper. I do it all the time.

Then burn the paper when you are done. It’s fun.
 
I, too, do a written examination of conscience and bring in the paper with me.
 
Its fine as long as you plan to destroy the paper, otherwise I’d think it could fall into scrupulous.
 
Being, much to my dismay, a repeat offender with a lot of sins (as many of us are) it’s tempting to write a computerised list of my most common sins and just cross off the ones I *haven’t *committed each time around 😃
 
LilyM said:
Being, much to my dismay, a repeat offender with a lot of sins (as many of us are) it’s tempting to write a computerised list of my most common sins and just cross off the ones I *haven’t *committed each time around 😃
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Yep. Sounds reasonable.😃
 
I do my examination of conscience at home, in case I need to jump in line quickly when I get to Church :D. I also write down what I want to say, in case I freeze up or seomting when I get in the confessional. I just gives me peace of mind.
 
I typically bring a written list with me when I go to confession. I actually have a print out with the 10 commandments on it. I spend time on each commandment, writing down sins that fall under that particular commandment underneath. I have found it very helpful, as I have a horrible short-term memory and usually forget to confess something unless I have my list.
 
I’ve done this before when it has been a long time since my last confession. Now since I go pretty frequently, I usually only have one or two sins to confess. One thing that is nice too is praying before you go in that you will make a good confession, remembering all of your sins and doing a good job of communicating them to the priest. Sometimes that is the real challenge, to be specific but not overly-detailed.
 
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LilyM said:
Being, much to my dismay, a repeat offender with a lot of sins (as many of us are) it’s tempting to write a computerised list of my most common sins and just cross off the ones I *haven’t *committed each time around 😃
Click to expand...
Hmmm. :hmmm: Why didn’t I think of that.
 
I always take a list because I still get so nervous when I go I forget half of what I wanted to say.

At my parish, our priest whispers the prayer of absolution while I say the act of contrition. The first time I went to confession there I was so distracted by his whispering I forgot half of the act of contrition. After a very looong pause I finally remembered the rest of it.

So I have it written down also.

After confession I shred my list.
 
Should be a paper shredder sitting right outside the confessional…🙂
 
One time I did this, and the priest asked whether I was reading from a list. I said yes. He told me not to write lists for confession again, so I haven’t.

BTW … when I got home, I discovered that I had LOST the list!!! :eek:
 
Gamera said:
One time I did this, and the priest asked whether I was reading from a list. I said yes. He told me not to write lists for confession again, so I haven’t.

BTW … when I got home, I discovered that I had LOST the list!!! :eek:
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Oh my…maybe that is why he didn’t want you to write them down…

If anyone ever found any of my lists, I could be blackmailed!:o
 
I use a small piece of paper (post it) & jot them down while I examine my conscience–as soon as I am home–shred away! What a great feeling!👍
 
I also jot down notes using abbreviations. Sometimes I use them in confession, sometimes I don’t, but it is a good way to organize your thoughts before stepping into confession. And I do shred it when I get home.
Gamera said:
One time I did this, and the priest asked whether I was reading from a list. I said yes. He told me not to write lists for confession again, so I haven’t.

BTW … when I got home, I discovered that I had LOST the list!!! :eek:
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I find it extremely hard to make a good confession when the priest interrupts me and I lose track of what I am trying to confess.
 
I get so nervous in confession that I forget what I am saying, so my confessor suggested that I use a little “shorthand” that only I know to help me out when I do my examination of conscience. That way, if I lose my “note to self”, no one knows what it means. 😃
 
LilyM said:
Being, much to my dismay, a repeat offender with a lot of sins (as many of us are) it’s tempting to write a computerised list of my most common sins and just cross off the ones I *haven’t *committed each time around 😃
Click to expand...
Well, I’m pretty much a repeat offender myself. But since my sins are nearly always the same, that obviates the need for a list.

Personally I tend to come down on the side of no list.

Mortal sins are easy to recall–they stick out like a sore thumb.

And venial sins need not all be confessed anyway. It’s best to concentrate on only one or two.

I’m afraid that listing could lead to scrupulosity.
 
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