Confession

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anonymoususer

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I am an RCIA candidate and due to some life changing events, I have developed a strong faith. The sacrament of penance is starting to weigh on my mind, and I have a few questions.
  1. Since I have never been to confession, and am 29 years old, and have a great memory, and feel sorrow over a lot of things, how many things should I confess? I guess I feel that if I confessed every thing I have ever done wrong, I would be there for a week. Where should I start, and where should I end?
  2. As one could imagine, I am truuly embarrassed about several sins, and feel deep sorrow for having done them. How can I get over the ackward feeling of confessing these things to a priest I see on a regular basis? I guess I feel as if he would always be thinking of these things when he sees me in the future.
I would think that these are not new questions. How should I proceed?

Thanks!
 
Ask your priest how he wants you to proceed. If it’s in-depth, he may want to meet you at his office or at a special time. He may also say that you are in the right place to cleanse your soul.
 
If you are already baptized then you are obliged to confess all mortal sins in name and number since the time of your baptism. Just do your best to examine your conscience thoroughly before your first confession and be honest with your confessor and yourself. If you forget one, it is still forgiven but confess it in a later confession.

Overcoming embarrassment is a problem a lot of converts have (myself included). If possible make your first confession behind a screen, just to get used to the idea. Also remember, that it is very likely your confessor has heard people confess similar sins many times before. He will NOT think less of you. On the contrary, if he is a good confessor, he will think better of you that you had the faith, courage, and humility to confess your sins in the sacrament. That is more than a lot of Catholics do these days.
 
I confessed just about everything, generally. I couldn’t remember everything, but confess all since your Baptism.
 
It is possible to confess the sins of a great number of years in a relatively short period of time, because we tend to repeat the same sins over and over, and because there are only so many ways to sin.

For example,
“Father, my last confession was 30 years ago. Since that time I committed fornication 3 times a week for 30 years, adultery twice a month for 30 years, and oh yes, while working for the Mafia, killed about 1 person per month for 10 years.”

See? It doesn’t take long.
 
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anonymoususer:
I am an RCIA candidate and due to some life changing events, I have developed a strong faith. The sacrament of penance is starting to weigh on my mind, and I have a few questions.
  1. Since I have never been to confession, and am 29 years old, and have a great memory, and feel sorrow over a lot of things, how many things should I confess? I guess I feel that if I confessed every thing I have ever done wrong, I would be there for a week. Where should I start, and where should I end?
  2. As one could imagine, I am truuly embarrassed about several sins, and feel deep sorrow for having done them. How can I get over the ackward feeling of confessing these things to a priest I see on a regular basis? I guess I feel as if he would always be thinking of these things when he sees me in the future.
I would think that these are not new questions. How should I proceed?

Thanks!
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Hi,
I am very glad to hear your on the right track. If you committed a sin a lot and don’t remember how often then just say several times for that particular sin. The priest will not remember your sins. He hears thousands of sins each year. And it all becomes a blur over time. Most people are nervous about telling the priest the things they’ve done. But it gets easier as you grow in humility. And this sacrament is a great humbler. Think what it would be like if there was no confession. No more chances.

Yours in Jesus, Mary & Joseph,

John
Saints are just sinners who keep trying.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon7.gif
 
JimG, offers a very good example. You do not have to go into great details about your sins unless asked to do so by the priest.

Remember, once you confess a sin and it is forgiven, you no longer need to carry it around with you for the rest of your life because the slate has been wiped clean.

Also, if you intentionally fail to confess a mortal sin that you remember, you in effect commit an invalid confession.
 
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