Confessional Question

[mickeyboggs]

So one time I went to confession and had such a great experience that after, I was in so much joy that I forgot to go do my penance in the church. After I realized it in the car and felt awful. Suffice to say, I did it at home. Is that okay?
And every time I go, tears always brim my eyes when the priest absolves me. Anyone else? I just am usually about to explode in tears of joy. Kinda embarrassing for me but am I the only one?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Assuming your penance is a prayer or something and the priest didn’t state that you had to say it in the church, it’s okay to do it reverently at home.

I cry in Confession out of reflex from nerves, going back to an incident in my youth. It’s not particularly joyful. It’s embarrassing. It’s one reason why I spent years not going to confession. Thankfully, the priests frequently have some Kleenex in there for the times I forget to bring my own.

 

[Nelka]

Yes as I once had confession just before Mass and there seemed less than one minute before Mass started so I prayed it afterwards.

 

[Greenfields]

I’m sure that’s fine and yes!Sometimes I wish I was just alone in the church and could cry

 

[Kei]

Yes, the penance does not affect your forgiveness.
Just do the penance when you can.

How I feel sorta is different some times than others

 

[Edward_H]

one thing to be careful is to get into a mode of “rating” our confessions.

Instead: we go to Confession to please God!
sometimes it’s God’s will that we are giving consolations, feelings when we do this…but very often not.

So we simply go anyway! We put our shoulder into every confession, doing a good exam, making sure we don’t wrap too much story into our sins (potential excuses creep in) and we go in contrite (not a feeling, but a decisive movement of the will to not sin again, a decision made between the intellect and the will to not sin again).

Sometimes “feelings” of sorrow accompany us…and sometimes theyre “missing in action”…no worries…we go to the Father (through the presence and actions of the priest) to ask for forgiveness.

Beware of feelings.

this is called “purity of intention”…we occasionally need to “purify our intention” (ask God’s help to do this too!)…so that when we go in…our intention is simply to love God, to please Him with our simplicity, sincerity, and childlike sorrow.

 

[JimG]

It’s fine. It’s usually best to say your penance prayers in the church, but you can say them in the car, or at home, or before you go to bed.

 

[Greenfields]

Gaining Gods grace again can be a very moving thing