Confessuion, issues and need for some advices

[Padraig1972]

Hi all

I have a couple of questions as i do need some advices. This has got something to do with sins and yes, a mortal one. As can be seen here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=7514823#post7514823

But it also got something to do with another issue.

Okey, first things first: yesterday night-morning i realized that i have done something incredibly stupid and through my whole tuesday it felt really bad and it still does. Knowing i need to go to confession soon as possible.

The thing is that it`s not more than 17 days ago since my last confession as i have had some issues with my non-religious family: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=529409 and somethings related to that. My mistake was to not be humble enough and not speak up to them, which i did.

Now having to go to confession again makes me wonder: what will my priest think of me and will he be annoyed as he thinks my process-learning-improving curve is bad (i am not so happy about it and realize i got a lot of learning to do).

This is why i wonder if i should go to the confession booth before mass or appoint a face to face confession with my parish priest and tell him excactly how i feel and what scares me.

Most people will say: you have to decide this on your own, true - but i am scared, fearful and shameful.

Stealing and almost suggest really bad morally thing to a friend (i didn` t as i was thinking to myself: Tommy, what are you doing? Stop that). But it scared me, as these are morally things i thought i had put behind me.

I know i have to sort this out, but should i do it straight away or having to wait some time (as our parish priest, which is excellent is a very busy man)?

Thanks for reading this. I want to be honest, decent and do good. But right now, i feel more like a thief that deseves a yelling.

Pax

 

[Edward_H]

A couple of thoughts.

Go to confession, happily and eagerly. Don’t worry if it’s the same priest. Don’t worry what he may or may not think you. Go with sincerity to the Father; He uses the priest’s voice and mind to forgive you.

Confess the big and the little in that order, in a straightforward manner. If your priest becomes concerned about scruples or whatever - have that discussion…but be sincere. Say that you fell short and want to begin again with God.

Every 17 days isn’t over-confessing. Some folks have found great help in weekly confession and aren’t overly scrupulous. In addition to being forgiven through the sacrament, we’re also strengthened.

I’ve found some priests like to see sincere, struggles toward holiness. Once a priest gets to know your heart and your struggles, then they can move you forward a couple of levels.

If you go in with a perfunctory confession, you get absolved but you may not get the all the help that a priest can give you.

I’ve found this to be the case…a priest sensing a desire to struggle will give you even more ways to move forward in the interior life.

Go in so honest that you expect - you desire to be - humiliated in a sense. You desire to see yourself as you really are. Confront the truth squarely. Into the hands of your Father God who knows you already. The priest will help you. If your heart and your intentions are clear and strong and honest - it matters only how God sees you…as a sincere stumbling child, desiring to get back on his/her feet.

God Bless your good confession.

 

[EmeraldWings]

I can’t tell you if what you have done is a sin, that is something you should ask your priest(you don’t have to go to confession to ask your priest if a certain situation was a sin)
but i will say, don’t be afraid to go to confession frequently, because frequent confession is really good for you and is what you need in order to overcome your weaknesses, it is there for you as a gift from God, it’s not just for forgiveness, but also for Gods graces and blessings upon you, it is what made the saints so holy and reach such great heights, along with communion of course,
you can confess your venial sins and your temptations to sin, not just mortal, so if you have not committed a mortal sin, it would still be beneficial for you to go, and actually even more so, because by devotional confession(once a week to once a month) you increase in your sanctifying grace.

but whether you have committed a sin or not, don’t beat yourself up about it, God wants you to be at peace and be calm, we sin because we are weak, and so you just need to pray for God to help you and give you strength, but if you are upset with yourself for sinning out of weakness, then that is actually a type of hidden pride, because by doing that you are actually putting your trust and confidence in yourself instead of God,
you need to have humility in knowing you are a weak sinner, patience, perseverance, and temperance in overcoming your sins and faults, faith and hope to trust that God will help you, and charity to accept Gods will love Him above all things…
you need to read up on and practice all the virtues, and by doing that you will be easily able to tell what is sinful…
but first and foremost just pray, and use the sacraments, God will lead you,

we are told by the church, that when in doubt “by all means, confess”, so go to confession, or simply ask your priest about it,
don’t worry about bothering him, because that is what he is there for, he took on that life to do Gods will and tend to His flock, and you are that flock,
you can’t worry about what he will think of you, he is not there to be your friend, but your father, and quite frankly the sin you are concerned with, i am sure, will not faze him at all, your priest has heard far worse sins, and the fact of the matter is, you are not even sure if this was sinful, so there’s a good chance it was only venial(because of the three necessary conditions for mortal sin) and i am personally not even sure if that is considered stealing…sort of a confusing issue.

anyways, the best advice i can give you is simply to talk about it with your priest, and don’t wait,
you need to question yourself on where this fear is coming from, is it a type of pride? or vanity? there are many types of pride you wouldn’t have thought of as pride, but many times that is where fear comes from in these kinds of cases,

well anyways, i hope this helps, take care.

 

[alexander_pope]

Forgo confession,go to Starbucks ,indulge in a creamy tai chai latte grande,grab extra napkins, sugar packets etc [demerra sugar preferably]

 

[Padraig1972]

Many thanks for the good advices. As i now am writing here, i have contacted my parish priest and asked for a face to face confession and counsel.

I am writing my confession and it will plain and direct with the big sin and the smaller one as suggested. For my own development i need to come clean and forget the fear that i might have.

I wish you all a blessed wednesday and thanks for encouraging me.

 

[Edward_H]

Very well. Go with to God, with God. : >

Utter simplicity and sincerity. Like a child.