Delaying confession

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Lea101

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Long story short, I keep getting thoughts of delaying confession and have done so in the the past. Keep telling myself that I should wait until I get over my resentment with God first (which keeps coming in waves even after confession.) It was especially bad today, which made me commit a mortal sin.

I guess I don’t really know what I’m asking. Advice? Am I being attacked? Is it wise to go for confession even though I don’t feel like I care enough?
 
Confession heals us, not to mention the advice you could get from the priest. They can help you get out of your rut.

Praying for you.
 
I have been through this “put off confession until [insert condition here]” thing myself.

You tell yourself to wait until you get over your resentment with God. What if you never get over it?

If you are in mortal sin, I encourage you to go to confession anyway. Tell the priest of your difficulties in coming, your hesitation, your resentment with the Lord, that you feel you don’t care enough. He will guide you. Be open to what he says.

No one here can tell you if you’re being attacked (I assume you mean spiritually).

Praying for you. God bless.
 
johnnyc176 said:
Go to confession.
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Agreed.

But it may be a good idea to confess the resentment, and whatever other types of problems you’re experiencing, including any doubts. Lay it all out with simplicity and without running and without rationalization.

A lot of this, I think, can well be an intellectual or a psychological symptom of a spiritual orientation rooted in venial sins, and that should be abandoned. It might actually be rather hidden from us, and it may be precisely where we are being attacked because it’s so hard to see.

So confess it, for whatever sin or imperfection you may have exhibited, and you may well find yourself being surprised at how much of the problem goes away.

And don’t delay Confession. All you’re doing is delaying healing, and you’re encouraging your wounds to fester. Intend to turn away from sin, but don’t abandon the path to perfection simply because you aren’t perfect. That’s precisely the opposite approach you should take.
 
All the above advice is great. It is not based on feelings. Feelings of sorrow may or may not be there… You need a resolution not to commit that sin ever again and to avoid all near occasions of sin. (temptations).

There was an occasion once in which the priest in confession asked me if I was sorry for a sin. I was not feeling guilt nor sorrow so I said to him, I want to be sorry. He accepted this with the premise that I realized I had done wrong, hurt God, others and myself. He also realized I was determined to avoid this sin and its near occasion in the future. Under those circumstances, he was able to absolve me though I lacked emotion.

When in doubt, go to Confession. You will receive many graces including healing the wounds of sin and strength to avoid future sins.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit gives us “The Gift of Tears” Sometimes we arrive at it by gazing at a crucifix or meditating on the Passion. At any rate all we need is a complete sincere Confession and a firm resolution to avoid sinning in the future. Emotion is great but not necessary.
 
Thanks for the advice. Always felt like I am taking advantage of God every time I step into the confessional.
 
W
JM3 said:
It’s not about feelings. Repentance is an act of the will.
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Amen.

Faith is not a feeling. Feelings come and go. We cannot live our spiritual lives based on our feelings. Jesus didn’t feel like dying on the Cross but He had discerned that it was the Will of God to do so and He allowed it to happen to Himself.

If you have discerned that going to Confession at particular intervals is the Will of God for you (eg. monthly) you should do continue to do so despite how you feel.

If one tends towards scrupulosity they should obey their priest as to the frequency of Confession - again despite how they feel about it.
 
Lea101 said:
Thanks for the advice. Always felt like I am taking advantage of God every time I step into the confessional.
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I think that’s a humble attitude to have. 🙂 But the thing with Confession is that God has given it to us as an incredible gift and we should avail ourselves of it as many times as we need. I teach second grade CCD and when I ask the kids “How often can you go to a Confession?” they are incredulous at the answer- whenever! (As long as you have made a good examination of conscience and are truly contrite, of course).

Once I went after having not been in some time- my confessor told me “Today they are having a party in Heaven for the fact that you came here today!” Just thinking about the angels and saints and Jesus himself rejoicing in me “coming back closer to God” makes me smile.

God wants nothing more than to be in complete union with each of us- Confession helps us get there. 👍
 
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