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Gigglin4God
Guest
In our Church here, Father says to go to confession and to go often. How often is often enough?
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jemfinch
Guest
The Latin Church requires at least once per year. You should go to confession any time you’re aware of mortal sin. Even if you’re only aware of venial sins, confession is still a good practice since the grace you receive through the sacrament will help you in avoiding all sin.
Jeremy
Jeremy
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bilop
Guest
I try to go every 4-6 weeks. Obviously, more frequently if I’m in mortal sin.
God Bless
God Bless
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mercygate
Guest
There is no “often enough”. This is a pastoral sacrament and should be approached in a pastoral way. If you are at all scrupulous, in the sense of having problems experiencing the mercy of God, you should go to confesson only as often as your priest advises.
Otherwise, outside of special circumstances (like mine, where I am vowed to a Rule of Life that requires confession at least monthly), most people would do well to go about every six or eight weeks (unless they have a mortal sin on their conscience, of course). Some people feel the need to go weekly. There is no single right answer.
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puzzleannie
Guest
how often do you bathe?
how often do you clean your house?
how often do you wash your car?
as often as necessary.
how often do you clean your house?
how often do you wash your car?
as often as necessary.
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st_marys_girl
Guest
I find it helpful to take advantage of first friday. For me it’s a great way to start the month. Go to mass, confession and spend some time with Jesus in the Eucharist. Plus, I have the reminder at the begining of each month to keep me from waiting too long to return to the confessional. 
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Gigglin4God
Guest
I am just wondering if the reason why I am having such difficulties with anxiety and depression is because I need to go have a good confession to make sure there isnt anything keeping me from being close to God?
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
If you feel like there’s some barrier keeping you from God, that’s an excellent time to go to confession. Get rid of it!
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mercygate
Guest
Are you scrupulous?
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Gigglin4God
Guest
Please forgive my ignorance but I dont even know what that word means. So I dont know if I am or not.
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mercygate
Guest
Sorry. Scrupulosity, used in this context, is a spiritual “disease” in which a person is constantly in dread of having committed a sin, constantly in fear that the mercy of God cannot possibly apply to himself, constantly struggling in confession with the thought that he might have “left something out”
It is a fairly common condition and people who have it are heavily burdened by it. There are a couple of web sites for people who suffer from this – I think one of them is called “Scrupulous Anonymous.”
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Gigglin4God
Guest
Oh my Gosh! You have named me to a Tee in what you have said. I guess I am scrupulous like you said. I am always feeling like I am a bad person no matter what anyone says to me and that I am doomed for hell no matter what I do. I just feel so over whelmed that I dont know how to live without this " Being Perfect In Everything" Way. I feel like I am a wasted space on this great earth of God’s and no matter what anyone says or does to try to get me to see the good in me I see myself as worthless. If I let someone down then I feel like I have let God down as well and that I am automatically damned for Hell. Lord, Jesus Christ Have Mercy on me a sinner.
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mercygate
Guest
God love you! So when you go to confession next time, mention to the priest what you have said here. Look around for those web sites because they offer some good advice.
This is NOT the way Christ wants us to go through life! He did not come here and suffer for us in order to drive us NUTS over the details. As Mother Angelica says: “If you think your sin is bigger than God’s mercy, that’s kind of an insult to God” (or words to that effect).
God love ya! and may you find your way to peace. I know people who have successfully come to grips with this.
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Carolinagirl411
Guest
Sounds like you are suffering from depression my friend. Most people who suffer from depression have a constant negative outlook on life and about themselves. This can affect your religious life if it is an important part of your life. So I guess overly anxious/depressed religious people are called scrupulous. Go to confession but also see a counselor. There may be an underlying issue especially if it effects any other aspects of your life.
I would say, don’t worry so much, but seeing as I have generalized anxiety disorder myself…I know that will do no good. My problem is spitting out the sins to the priest. I get so embarrassed i literally choke…and it doesn’t take much to get me embarrassed.
All I can say is, you are not alone.
I thought it was funny when another poster said that to think your sin is greater than God’s mercy is an insult to God. LOL as someone with GAD I would then be constantly worried about insulting God…that piece of advice would not help people like us who are just clinical worriers. It’s a chemical problem .but it is a VERY True and Good point though.
I would say, don’t worry so much, but seeing as I have generalized anxiety disorder myself…I know that will do no good. My problem is spitting out the sins to the priest. I get so embarrassed i literally choke…and it doesn’t take much to get me embarrassed.
All I can say is, you are not alone.
I thought it was funny when another poster said that to think your sin is greater than God’s mercy is an insult to God. LOL as someone with GAD I would then be constantly worried about insulting God…that piece of advice would not help people like us who are just clinical worriers. It’s a chemical problem .but it is a VERY True and Good point though.
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mercygate
Guest
Oy. I never thought of that but it is very true. If you are bent this way, then you WILL find some way of turning lemonade into lemons! God grant peace to your souls.
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Carolinagirl411
Guest
Mercy Gate
It was a VERY good piece of advice and very true. I didn’t want you to think I was discrediting it at all. I try to keep it in mind and even though I have a chemical problem, the first place to start is to be aware of the negative thinking and try to turn it around. It is difficult…which makes confession even more torturous for people with this sort of problem.
I’ve never heard of scrupulous before…I mean not the actual definition. Brings out the researcher in me. LOL maybe I could start a study finding correlations between scrupulous people and those with mental disorders. haha maybe another thesis or dissertation.
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kell0618
Guest
If you are free from mortal sin, I think that once a month is good practice.
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Gigglin4God
Guest
If you go and listen to the CD on Confession by Father Larry Richards it really makes a person feel like sneezing crooked will get you into Hell. I have listened to this and it makes me feel even more guilty like there is no hope in this world for me to make it to Heaven. It is so discouraging that it makes it hard for me to even want to pray. If any of you have listened to this CD, please give me some feedback as to what you have thought of it. Thank you.
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mercygate
Guest
I’m no expert but I understand that in some cases it is a sub-set of OCD.
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mercygate
Guest
There ya GO! I HAVE listened to that CD and I LOVED it! In no way did I have the impression that “sneezing crooked” is a ticket to Hell. Fact is, in our culture, we have lost a lot of our RATIONAL sense of sin – which is one of our divinely given human gifts. But it sounds like you have a double dose.
Balance, balance, balance. See if you can connect with people – both in person and on line – who are experienced with situations like yours. You don’t want this to become a life sentence.
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