Dirty clothes and Confession

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damooster

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I really want to go to Confession this evening, but I am on a tight schedule (I get off of work at 5pm and have to be at RCIA at 7pm because I’m a sponsor). Fortunately, there’s a parish around the corner from my place of employment that has Confession starting at 5pm. I could go to Confession on the way home and still have enough time to change and be at RCIA on time, but I work in a very dusty environment. I’m concerned that wearing dirty clothes inside of a parish is disrespectful.

I’m not covered in mud or oil, but I’m not clean. I don’t think anyone would be able to tell that I work in a dusty environment, but I am hesitant to go.

What do you guys think?
 
What’s more important - cleaning up physical dirt which is only temporary or cleaning up spiritual dirt which has eternal consequences? The former matters, but is of lesser importance compared to the latter.

I’ve never met a priest who had a problem hearing a dirty person’s confession.
 
If it bothers you, bring a change of clothes and change in the men’s room at work or in the men’s room at the Parish before you go to Confession. It takes 5 minutes to change clothes and wash your face.
 
kage_ar said:
If it bothers you, bring a change of clothes and change in the men’s room at work or in the men’s room at the Parish before you go to Confession. It takes 5 minutes to change clothes and wash your face.
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I did not plan on going to Confession this evening or I would have brought clothes.
 
damooster said:
I really want to go to Confession this evening, but I am on a tight schedule (I get off of work at 5pm and have to be at RCIA at 7pm because I’m a sponsor). Fortunately, there’s a parish around the corner from my place of employment that has Confession starting at 5pm. I could go to Confession on the way home and still have enough time to change and be at RCIA on time, but I work in a very dusty environment. I’m concerned that wearing dirty clothes inside of a parish is disrespectful.

I’m not covered in mud or oil, but I’m not clean. I don’t think anyone would be able to tell that I work in a dusty environment, but I am hesitant to go.

What do you guys think?
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Don’t give it another thought. Just go to confession.
 
I think it’s a lucky coincidence that is quite poetic: come into the confessional dirty =).
 
FrDavid96 said:
Don’t give it another thought. Just go to confession.
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Ahhhh.

Then, get thee to the Confessional! (And maybe leave a gym bag with a change of clothes in your car “just in case” something like this comes up in the future?)
 
damooster said:
I
I’m not covered in mud or oil, but I’m not clean. I don’t think anyone would be able to tell that I work in a dusty environment, but I am hesitant to go.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
nobody cares what you are wearing, just go to confession

I spent years at Mass in my workclothes because transportation situation on the weekend made in necessary to go to Mass after work, in my work clothes. I changed at work when it was possible, but that did not always happen if I worked OT.
 
Definitely go. You aren’t going dirty to be disrespectful, you are going because you feel a need to confess. That’s what’s important in this situation.
 
kage_ar said:
If it bothers you, bring a change of clothes and change in the men’s room at work or in the men’s room at the Parish before you go to Confession. It takes 5 minutes to change clothes and wash your face.
Click to expand...
This could be a very interesting confession if the OP happens to be a woman.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. Confession was awesome as usual. A guy that just left a constuction site was there so I didn’t feel so self conscious :).
 
I was working on the construction of a small electricity generating plant in the middle of Australia & due to urgency we worked 7 days a week to get it up & running before the old station finally failed. As a consequence I could only get to mass on Sunday unwashed & still in work clothes. ( I did leave my work boots at the door ) The priest didnt concern himself with this & I fulfilled my Sunday Obligation - so long story short - simply do the best you can - I think Our Lord Himself knew well being without bathing facilities & being sweaty etc. so Im sure he accepts a working man who belongs to him who is only dirty on the outside.:knight2:
 
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