Confession questions

[rabbysmom]

Does anyone have a good link to an examination of conscience they could recommend?

Do you have to go to your parish priest for confession? Could I go to another priest at another parish?

Over the last year since becoming a Catholic I have doubted the Church twice and “left”. Any suggestions on how to stop this? Is this normal for a new Catholic? I just joined at the Vigil last year and am already a lousy Catholic! Please pray for me. Thank you so much.

 

[Bookcat]

shop.catholic.com/a-contemporary-adult-guide-to-conscience-for-the-sacrament-of-confession.html

 

[Bookcat]

Over the last year since becoming a Catholic I have doubted the Church twice and “left”. Any suggestions on how to stop this? .

Repent…believe the good news…goto confession and hold fast to Christ and his Church!

Read good Catholic books…reading has made many saints.

 

[Bookcat]

I repost an old post of mine:

Temptations against Faith can come…the best way to fight against such is more by flight then by fight. (such is the age old advice --same with the temptations against the virtue of chastity). (other temptations the way is “fight” - like opposing the temptation with the opposite virtue etc in an active way).

Most “temptations of thought” are are better to “ignore”…(see long post above)

And the great Catholic Philosopher Josef Pieper Ia great intellectual) noted sometimes one has to even to simply stand fast as a kind of martyr in silence holding fast to ones Faith…in the midst of temptations against faith…even in the the midst of ones own involuntary feelings or thoughts --that assail one like arrows…(not consenting).

or as St. Therese did… simply say or write “Credo” (I believe).

Or silently make the sign of the cross…(as ones profession).

As the CCC quotes it - a thousand difficulties doe not make a doubt…

Hold fast to Jesus of Nazareth and his Church.

In him is true life! And thus in his Church.

 

[OhioM]

I repost an old post of mine:

Temptations against Faith can come…the best way to fight against such is more by flight then by fight. (such is the age old advice --same with the temptations against the virtue of chastity). (other temptations the way is “fight” - like opposing the temptation with the opposite virtue etc in an active way).

Most “temptations of thought” are are better to “ignore”…(see long post above)

And the great Catholic Philosopher Josef Pieper Ia great intellectual) noted sometimes one has to even to simply stand fast as a kind of martyr in silence holding fast to ones Faith…in the midst of temptations against faith…even in the the midst of ones own involuntary feelings or thoughts --that assail one like arrows…(not consenting).

or as St. Therese did… simply say or write “Credo” (I believe).

Or silently make the sign of the cross…(as ones profession).

As the CCC quotes it - a thousand difficulties doe not make a doubt…

Hold fast to Jesus of Nazareth and his Church.

In him is true life! And thus in his Church.

inspiring post! thank you!

 

[LiamQ]

Over the last year since becoming a Catholic I have doubted the Church twice and “left”. Any suggestions on how to stop this?

It depends entirely on what precisely is causing these doubts. I would think most doubts are either intellectual or rooted in a weak faith or both. The intellectual stuff requires consulting apologetics material. The weak faith requires spiritual direction.

 

[LundyLund]

thereasonforourhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SinsList.pdf

Some of the items on that list seem geared toward younger folks (like high school age), but I find it a good starting point.

Fr. Larry Richards has a phenomenal talk about confession. I access it through formed.org, but you can probably find it through Lighthouse Catholic Media, too. It’s about an hour long, and I’d recommend it to anybody.

 

[MrsAngelala]

You can go to any priest for confession. This past year I had to go to confession right after Christmas. When I got back from travel after the holiday, the parish priest wasn’t saying the daily Masses; since I had been gone, if there were any announcements I had missed them; the bulletin wasn’t up on the website; the office was closed; and I didn’t know when he’d be back.

So… I looked around for regular confession times and found one coming up at a nearby parish where I sing. When I contacted the secretary to make sure confessions were still happening (things get cancelled that time of year), she even made me an appt for earlier in the afternoon so I could beat a snowstorm.

It’s a good idea to have a regular confessor, but really you can go wherever. As my husband once said to me, “You don’t go to confession for the priest.” Just go.

Re: staying: When I had to walk away from my ministry last year, I gave myself a week and then immediately looked for another group to join – because I knew that otherwise, without any responsibilities or anyone to even notice I was gone, I would surely drift away. Get involved. Make people expect you. Put names to faces. Trade kindnesses. That’s how you stay. Doubt, okay… but if you know people are expecting you to bring the snacks for group, you’re not leaving at least until that’s done!