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Seekingtheway
Guest
How specific does one have to be during confession? I haven’t been in a while and there’s some things I’d rather not be specific about.
I appreciate all advice.
I appreciate all advice.
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Darrel
Guest
Specific enough to confess the sin. It would nag me if I was too elusive in my wording. Your gonna feel better if you just spit it out. I’m new to the CC and have had a limited number of confessions. I always feel so much better afterwards. I’ll bet the Priest has heard it all.How specific does one have to be during confession? I haven’t been in a while and there’s some things I’d rather not be specific about.
I appreciate all advice.
-D
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PhilipCal
Guest
As Darrell correctly noted, your confession has got to be detailed enough to properly describe the sin. As he further correctly noted, the Priest has probably heard it before. Ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in your examination of conscious, and in your actual confession. God Bless!!
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dulcissima
Guest
I would say specific enough that your conscience won’t be nagging you later that you had been deceptive. Confession is not the time to beat around the bush. Just say in the plainest possible language what you did that was wrong.
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m134e5
Guest
Say what you did and how many times you did it. You don’t have to go into all the details, but tell the priest everything that may make the sin unique. For example, if you stole medicine from someone who was sick, that is different than stealing a piece of candy from the store. If it’s a sexual sin, you need to say if it was alone or with another person, if you and the other person are married or single, if it was with a man or a woman, If it was breaking a vow, you need to say what kind of vow it was (a personal vow to do something, a vow made to the Church, or something like that).
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jmcrae
Guest
It’s not like there’s anybody that he can tell. Just say it in the way that makes the most sense to you.
If it’s a priest that you have to work with, then go to a different priest for this one.
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palmas85
Guest
Well you have to say what you did, and how often you did it. If you conceal anything it is not a valid confession anyway. As a previous poster advised, sometimes you have to be a bit more specific comcerning what you did. You must also have true contrition, I believe it is called, for what you did. It must be real and interor, and not necessarily something that you FEEL sorry about. Feelings of sorrow and remorse don’t really enter into it. And believe me, there is nothing you could confess that the Priest hasn’t already heard anyway from somebody else. They know, probably better than anyone just how depraved we as humans can be…How specific does one have to be during confession? I haven’t been in a while and there’s some things I’d rather not be specific about.
I appreciate all advice.
I would ask though, if you are not willing to be specific about the sins you committed, are you sure that you are ready for confession anyway?
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JimG
Guest
All sins have a name. Just say the name of the sin (to the priest.)
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RosaLydia
Guest
Here is from a book I am reading:
Introduction to the Devout Life
by Saint Francis de Sales
Chapter 19
Make your confession humbly and devoutly every week, and always, if you can, before communicating, even although your conscience is not burdened with mortal sin; for in confession you do not only receive absolution for your venial sins, but you also receive great strength to help you in avoiding them henceforth, clearer light to discover your failings, and abundant grace to make up whatever loss you have incurred through those faults.
You exercise the graces of humility, obedience, simplicity and love, and by this one act of confession you practise more virtue than in any other.
Be sure always to entertain a hearty sorrow for the sins you confess, however small they are; as also a stedfast resolution to correct them in future. Some people go on confessing venial sins out of mere habit, and conventionally, without making any effort to correct them, thereby losing a great deal of spiritual good. Supposing that you confess having said something untrue, although without evil consequences, or some careless words, or excessive amusement;-- repent, and make a firm resolution of amendment: it is a mere abuse to confess any sin whatever, be it mortal or venial, without intending to put it altogether away, that being the express object of confession.
Beware of unmeaning self-accusations, made out of a mere routine, such as, “I have not loved God as much as I ought; I have not prayed with as much devotion as I ought; I
have not loved my neighbour as I ought; I have not received the Sacraments with sufficient reverence;” and the like. Such things as these are altogether useless in setting the state of your conscience before your Confessor, inasmuch as all the Saints in Paradise and all men living would say the same. But examine closely what special reason you have for accusing yourself thus, and when you have discovered it, accuse yourself simply and plainly of your fault. For instance, when confessing that you have not loved your neighbour as you ought, it may be that what you mean is, that having seen some one in great want whom you could have succoured, you have failed to do so. Well then, accuse yourself of that special omission: say, “Having come across a person in need, I did not help him as I might have done,” either through negligence, or hardness, or indifference, according as the case may be. So again, do not accuse yourself of not having prayed to God with sufficient devotion; but if you have given way to voluntary distractions, or if you have neglected the proper circumstances of devout prayer–whether place, time, or attitude–say so plainly, just as it is, and do not deal in generalities, which, so to say, blow neither hot nor cold.
Again, do not be satisfied with mentioning the bare fact of your venial sins, but accuse yourself of the motive cause which led to them. For instance, do not be content with saying that you told an untruth which injured no one; but say whether it was out of vanity, in order to win praise or avoid blame, out of heedlessness, or from obstinacy. If you have exceeded in society, say whether it was from the love of talking, or gambling for the sake of money, and so on. Say whether you continued long to commit the fault in question, as the importance of a fault depends greatly upon its continuance: e.g., there is a wide difference between a passing act of vanity which is over in a quarter of an hour, and one which fills the heart for one or more days. So you must mention the fact, the motive and the duration of your faults. It is true that we are not bound to be so precise in confessing venial sins, or even, technically speaking, to confess them at all; but all who aim at purifying their souls in order to attain a really devout life, will be careful to show all their spiritual maladies, however slight, to their spiritual physician, in order to be healed.
Introduction to the Devout Life
by Saint Francis de Sales
Chapter 19
Make your confession humbly and devoutly every week, and always, if you can, before communicating, even although your conscience is not burdened with mortal sin; for in confession you do not only receive absolution for your venial sins, but you also receive great strength to help you in avoiding them henceforth, clearer light to discover your failings, and abundant grace to make up whatever loss you have incurred through those faults.
You exercise the graces of humility, obedience, simplicity and love, and by this one act of confession you practise more virtue than in any other.
Be sure always to entertain a hearty sorrow for the sins you confess, however small they are; as also a stedfast resolution to correct them in future. Some people go on confessing venial sins out of mere habit, and conventionally, without making any effort to correct them, thereby losing a great deal of spiritual good. Supposing that you confess having said something untrue, although without evil consequences, or some careless words, or excessive amusement;-- repent, and make a firm resolution of amendment: it is a mere abuse to confess any sin whatever, be it mortal or venial, without intending to put it altogether away, that being the express object of confession.
Beware of unmeaning self-accusations, made out of a mere routine, such as, “I have not loved God as much as I ought; I have not prayed with as much devotion as I ought; I
have not loved my neighbour as I ought; I have not received the Sacraments with sufficient reverence;” and the like. Such things as these are altogether useless in setting the state of your conscience before your Confessor, inasmuch as all the Saints in Paradise and all men living would say the same. But examine closely what special reason you have for accusing yourself thus, and when you have discovered it, accuse yourself simply and plainly of your fault. For instance, when confessing that you have not loved your neighbour as you ought, it may be that what you mean is, that having seen some one in great want whom you could have succoured, you have failed to do so. Well then, accuse yourself of that special omission: say, “Having come across a person in need, I did not help him as I might have done,” either through negligence, or hardness, or indifference, according as the case may be. So again, do not accuse yourself of not having prayed to God with sufficient devotion; but if you have given way to voluntary distractions, or if you have neglected the proper circumstances of devout prayer–whether place, time, or attitude–say so plainly, just as it is, and do not deal in generalities, which, so to say, blow neither hot nor cold.
Again, do not be satisfied with mentioning the bare fact of your venial sins, but accuse yourself of the motive cause which led to them. For instance, do not be content with saying that you told an untruth which injured no one; but say whether it was out of vanity, in order to win praise or avoid blame, out of heedlessness, or from obstinacy. If you have exceeded in society, say whether it was from the love of talking, or gambling for the sake of money, and so on. Say whether you continued long to commit the fault in question, as the importance of a fault depends greatly upon its continuance: e.g., there is a wide difference between a passing act of vanity which is over in a quarter of an hour, and one which fills the heart for one or more days. So you must mention the fact, the motive and the duration of your faults. It is true that we are not bound to be so precise in confessing venial sins, or even, technically speaking, to confess them at all; but all who aim at purifying their souls in order to attain a really devout life, will be careful to show all their spiritual maladies, however slight, to their spiritual physician, in order to be healed.
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RosaLydia
Guest
Continued from the Introduction to the Devout …
Do not spare yourself in telling whatever is necessary to explain the nature of your fault, as, for instance, the reason why you lost your temper, or why you encouraged another in wrong-doing. Thus, some one whom I dislike says a chance word in joke, I take it ill, and put myself in a passion. If one I like had said a stronger thing I should not have taken it amiss; so in confession, I ought to say that I lost my temper with a person, not because of the words spoken so much as because I disliked the speaker; and if in order to explain yourself clearly it is necessary to particularize the words, it is well to do so; because accusing one’s self thus simply one discovers not merely one’s actual sins, but one’s bad habits, inclinations and ways, and the other roots of sin, by which means one’s spiritual Father acquires a fuller knowledge of the heart he is dealing with, and knows better what remedies to apply. But you must always avoid exposing any one who has borne any part in your sin as far as possible. Keep watch over a variety of sins, which are apt to spring up and flourish, often insensibly, in the conscience, so that you may confess them and put them away; and with this view read Chapters VI., XXVII., XXVIII., XXIX., XXXV. and XXXVI. of Part III., and Chapter VII. of Part IV., attentively.
Do not lightly change your Confessor, but having chosen him, be regular in giving account of your conscience to him at the appointed seasons, telling him your faults simply and frankly, and from time to time–say every month or every two months, show him the general state of your inclinations, although there be nothing wrong in them; as, for instance, whether you are depressed and anxious, or cheerful, desirous of advancement, or money, and the like.
Do not spare yourself in telling whatever is necessary to explain the nature of your fault, as, for instance, the reason why you lost your temper, or why you encouraged another in wrong-doing. Thus, some one whom I dislike says a chance word in joke, I take it ill, and put myself in a passion. If one I like had said a stronger thing I should not have taken it amiss; so in confession, I ought to say that I lost my temper with a person, not because of the words spoken so much as because I disliked the speaker; and if in order to explain yourself clearly it is necessary to particularize the words, it is well to do so; because accusing one’s self thus simply one discovers not merely one’s actual sins, but one’s bad habits, inclinations and ways, and the other roots of sin, by which means one’s spiritual Father acquires a fuller knowledge of the heart he is dealing with, and knows better what remedies to apply. But you must always avoid exposing any one who has borne any part in your sin as far as possible. Keep watch over a variety of sins, which are apt to spring up and flourish, often insensibly, in the conscience, so that you may confess them and put them away; and with this view read Chapters VI., XXVII., XXVIII., XXIX., XXXV. and XXXVI. of Part III., and Chapter VII. of Part IV., attentively.
Do not lightly change your Confessor, but having chosen him, be regular in giving account of your conscience to him at the appointed seasons, telling him your faults simply and frankly, and from time to time–say every month or every two months, show him the general state of your inclinations, although there be nothing wrong in them; as, for instance, whether you are depressed and anxious, or cheerful, desirous of advancement, or money, and the like.
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InLight247
Guest
Thanks, RosaLydia, for posting the good readings.
God bless!
God bless!
A
asquared
Guest
if there is something you don’t want to be specific about, that is probably what most needs confessing. be as specific as you have to be for the priest to know what you are talking about, but don’t recite a saga or give x-rated details. If you can’t name your sin you can’t confess it.How specific does one have to be during confession? I haven’t been in a while and there’s some things I’d rather not be specific about.
I appreciate all advice.
- Status