T
the-3rd-parent
Guest
I’m not saying this to boast at all, but rather because I see this as a problem.
Six years ago, I found myself falling into mortal sins on a regular basis. I was deep within despair though I did not recognize my despair as a sin, and it was expressing itself through wreckless behavior. I sought God and found that the behavior had become habbitual. My relationship with God was transformed. It was truly an instance where when sin increased, grace increased all the more. I started going to confession on a weekly basis till my job preventing me from going that often. So then I went every other week, with the exception of the summer of '02 where a priest encouraged me to go more frequently so I went weekly again (granted, I think when he told me that he didn’t realize how often I was already going to confession as he seemed annoyed to see me coming back to him week after week) .
Confession has been truly a sacrament of not only forgiveness but of the grace and power to overcome my sins.
But as of the past two years, I’d say, I’ve been going through periods where I feel like I’m going to confession more habbitually because its been a certain period of time and I want the graces of the sacrament to protect me from sin, yet I stand in line and go through the examination of conscious and can only find areas of temptation where I did not actually fall into the sin. It really frusterates me that my sins are not as obvious to me.
I feel like I’m becoming blind to my own sins. I feel at the very least I should be going once a month.
The good thing is that when I pray about it, I do feel God is directing me down a path of meditating more on the Beautitudes and more of little failures of virtue. But I am finding that my understanding of just what the names of the virtues mean is hindering me somewhat.
Has anyone found a good confession guide that focuses on meditating on virtues and vices rather than the tradition focus of the ten commandments?
Six years ago, I found myself falling into mortal sins on a regular basis. I was deep within despair though I did not recognize my despair as a sin, and it was expressing itself through wreckless behavior. I sought God and found that the behavior had become habbitual. My relationship with God was transformed. It was truly an instance where when sin increased, grace increased all the more. I started going to confession on a weekly basis till my job preventing me from going that often. So then I went every other week, with the exception of the summer of '02 where a priest encouraged me to go more frequently so I went weekly again (granted, I think when he told me that he didn’t realize how often I was already going to confession as he seemed annoyed to see me coming back to him week after week) .
Confession has been truly a sacrament of not only forgiveness but of the grace and power to overcome my sins.
But as of the past two years, I’d say, I’ve been going through periods where I feel like I’m going to confession more habbitually because its been a certain period of time and I want the graces of the sacrament to protect me from sin, yet I stand in line and go through the examination of conscious and can only find areas of temptation where I did not actually fall into the sin. It really frusterates me that my sins are not as obvious to me.
I feel like I’m becoming blind to my own sins. I feel at the very least I should be going once a month.
The good thing is that when I pray about it, I do feel God is directing me down a path of meditating more on the Beautitudes and more of little failures of virtue. But I am finding that my understanding of just what the names of the virtues mean is hindering me somewhat.
Has anyone found a good confession guide that focuses on meditating on virtues and vices rather than the tradition focus of the ten commandments?
Thanks, Thomas! You are so right. Your suggestion is a valuable tool in preparation for Confession. I just do not to go to sleep at night without first giving thanks, asking for forgiveness, praying for others and giving praise to God. It just feels so good and peaceful and joyful all at the same time.