Frequency of confession

[Chancellare]

I have a question that I don’t expect you to answer, but what does one confess every week? I examine my conscience every night and I find it difficult to come up with anything to confess. I may get impatient, but is that a sin, especially if I don’t act on it. Once in awhile I may raise my voice at a student, but then again is that a sin? If I went every week I would probably be confessing the same thing week after week…I lost my patience and raised my voice Maybe once in awhile I might say I slacked off at work, but then is that a sin if I get all my work done? At least going once a month I might have a decent list but usually nothing that really needs confessing. I am not being flippant but I just wonder. Besides since I go to the same priest he might just get bored hearing the same things. I know there is grace in the sacrament but receiving communion daily gives grace as well.

I also had the same issue about frequent confessions before. Later I settled at once a month.
But something changed when I underwent monthly spiritual recollections:
Our conscience needs to be formed. It can only be done through regular doctrinal classes and having a spiritual adviser - preferably a Priest. Through these sessions I realized that our conscience is not unlike keeping the integrity of a corporate book of accounts:

1. You’ll never know you’re doing an Enron case unless you hire a qualified, authorized and fully independent auditing firm.
2. The more you feel uncomfortable with the ‘audit findings’, the better.
3. If in doubt, consult your ‘auditor’ if certain cases need to be reported. Better not wait for the first court case to institute reforms in the way things are done.

So I developed a simple schedule:

1. If serious sin, hit the confessional within a day or two, not beyond a weekend.
2. Once a month, talk to a Priest for consultations regarding ‘borderline’ cases. He tells me if these needed to be confessed or not.

Result:
clear conscience
continuous improvement

 

[Beautiful]

Also another convert here (around the same time) and I went every week for the first few years since I felt I had a lot of graces to “catch up” on. Then I went every number of months to test that out (unless I committed a mortal sin). I found that it was harder for me to see my sins - it seemed very clear to me that I was getting a “hardened” conscience. Now I go around every two weeks. My conscience is sensitive again, without my becoming scrupulous. I feel right for now - I imagine it’ll change every so often, but I certainly don’t like the feeling when I didn’t go but every number of months!

Brigid12 - I like your description - so neat and clean. Frequent confession - every week or two is a very good way to help avoid getting a hardened conscience.

 

[HOPEFUL_IN_UK]

I think you need to be as specific as possible, in order to be sure that you’re being honest with yourself. But, I know a lot of my sins are too numerous to count. At this point, my mortal sins aren’t that numerous, but I can’t say the say the same for my venial sins.

I don’t go to confession “regularly” - but I rarely go more than a month or two. I’d like to go once a week, but schedule rarely allows.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

Just recently the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops) came out with the recommentation of confession at least once a month. Confession of at least once a year is one of the precepts of the Catholic Church. It is required during Easter Season. That is why we have so many “Once a yearers” come at that time. I can only imagine what a positive force the Church could truly be if they came every Sunday and lived their faith.
Deacon Ed B

 

[katy]

Just recently the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops) came out with the recommentation of confession at least once a month. Confession of at least once a year is one of the precepts of the Catholic Church. It is required during Easter Season. That is why we have so many “Once a yearers” come at that time. I can only imagine what a positive force the Church could truly be if they came every Sunday and lived their faith.
Deacon Ed B

True, but then we are back to post #27.

 

[SimonX]

I agree with ya’all for various reasons you’ve already stated. For me, once a month is a good rule of thumb. I agree, you have to go enough to remember sins, ect…Even if no serious sins, Confession does help root out sinful habits. We all have them…

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

I can only say that if one finds it difficult to come up with anything to confess in one month, then “Blessed be he/she” Don’t forget, even venial sins can be confessed. If you read the lives of the saints, particularly the diary of St Faustina, she confessed regularly once a week, or more, to grow in Gods grace and on the way to perfection. Saints like this, are one in millions. I don’t think we have many, if any, like her at this time. Faults and venial sins can be confessed as a means of growing in sacramental sanctifying grace. I just wish I had trouble coming up with things to confess just once a month. I hope this answers your concerns with post # 27.
Deacon Ed B

 

[katy]

No claims to saintliness. In fact, I suspect a blindness to what is probably in front of my nose. I came to the faith as an adult, and did not have a preparation that was worth much. Confession was not even mentioned, to my memory. Maybe the real question is how to conquer that kind of spiritual myopia.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

Katy - Probably the best route would be to have a good spiritual director.
Deacon Ed B

 

[SimonX]

I agree with Deacon Ed, again. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I always have a good list to confess. I’ve seen many theads on the frequency and mechanics of confession, but let’s not forget about the pregame, namely, the examination of conscience. Probably just as important…

 

[thomasf]

I’m just curious. I try to go to confession once a month. For those that go more often, what do you talk about if you don’t have mortal sins? Do you discuss your venial sins with your confessor? Or other things? I personally love going once a month, but I’m not sure I could come up with a lot to talk about every week.

 

[Chancellare]

I’m just curious. I try to go to confession once a month. For those that go more often, what do you talk about if you don’t have mortal sins? Do you discuss your venial sins with your confessor? Or other things? I personally love going once a month, but I’m not sure I could come up with a lot to talk about every week.

If you confess only what you ‘believe’ are mortal sins, you will begin to overlook all venial sins. From there it’s going to be a downward slope.
If you confess all venial sins, anything worse than that will stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Jennifer_G]

Right now, I have been going weekly. I also have the opportunity to go during the week if I need it since where I go to daily Mass has confessions after each Mass.

I never quite understood having confession after the Mass… Wouldn’t you want to do it before the daily Mass rather than risk having 23 hours to commit another sin?

I’m just curious. I try to go to confession once a month. For those that go more often, what do you talk about if you don’t have mortal sins? Do you discuss your venial sins with your confessor? Or other things? I personally love going once a month, but I’m not sure I could come up with a lot to talk about every week.

As my RCIA director said when we were talking about this, there may be things you have frequent problems with (everyone does). For example, losing your patience easily with family when they keep asking you the same things over and over again, or consistently finding an excuse to put off prayer, or gossiping too much at work. I like to take the last few hours of the day before I go to sleep and pray, plus I’ll also be thinking about the day’s events and any venial sins I may have commited. I’ll sometimes even spend my lunchtime at work meditation scripture, and thinking about sins I’ve commited (venial and mortal), and those would be what I would confess.

 

[THurifer2]

As often as your frequency of committing mortal sins suggests.

No you are wrong …the CCC says you must confess once per year and the Code alludes to the same.

Your post is deceptive in the fact that it indicates that confession is only for mortal sins…

There are hordes of saints who place emphasis on frequent confession in aid to live a holy life.

I go monthly except during lent…in which I around every two weeks.

A person can only benefit from frequent confession regardless of the presence of mortal sin or not.

 

[Deacon_Ed_B]

Have you ever noticed how many people have truly lost the sense of sin. This stems from that “I’m OK - you’re OK” mentality. Remember the days when you had to wait in line for confession and had to step over many people to go to Communion. Now everyone goes to Communion, and there is no line at the confessional. It’s not because we are better. It’s because the sense of sin is not there anymore.
Deacon Ed B

 

[marleelynn]

usually in between my monthly confession, if I have any venial sins, I write them down (and examine my conscience on a daily basis). this way, when I go to confession, I am ready.

 

[jmcrae]

I’m trying to get the idea of how to grow in faith after the first phase of getting rid of almost constant, oblivious sin. And I have actually wondered what the pope might have had say; he forgot to floss? But that sounds flippant, only isn’t, just baffled somewhat.

Sure, maybe.

I have no idea what people that holy confess.

 

[LilyM]

Sure, maybe.

I have no idea what people that holy confess.

A saint isn’t someone who never sins, as I’m sure Paul and Augustine could tell us, they just get up quicker when they do

I usually go weekly, I figure that if I shower and brush my teeth on a daily basis the least I can do is cleanse my soul weekly :yup:

And I’ve never been without at least a few things to confess (one advantage - you don’t usually need to write a list!). I’d imagine JP2 or Mother Teresa wouldn’t have gone if they could think of nothing either

 

[Chancellare]

Have you ever noticed how many people have truly lost the sense of sin. This stems from that “I’m OK - you’re OK” mentality. Remember the days when you had to wait in line for confession and had to step over many people to go to Communion. Now everyone goes to Communion, and there is no line at the confessional. It’s not because we are better. It’s because the sense of sin is not there anymore.
Deacon Ed B

Noticed that too.
I wonder how many Parish Priests bother to remind people that it is another sin to receive communion under state of mortal sin.

 

[ASimpleSinner]

One’s venial sins.

“I became angry at the driver who cut me off on the freeway, and allowed his action to disturb my peace of mind for several minutes afterwards. I lied to my friend and told her that her hat was very pretty, when in fact I thought it was quite hideous - later, I saw her wearing it in a public place.”

You know. That stuff.

A good examination of conscience booklet can help too… Or you can take a look at this short and sweet one and print it out if you like:

ewtn.com/library/Prayer/examconscience.HTM

Remember also don’t get scrupulous, but sometimes it is worth thinking about the sins of ommission. Did we dedicate the time to prayer we should have? Observe Lenten abstinence well? Give generously of our time, talent and treasure where we could?

I go weekly. It is never that hard to figure out some things I need to tell God I am sorry about.

Even if they are venial sins, I kinda see it like sweeping the snow off your porch or sidewalk with a broom while it is still falling… Sure more is going to come down, but why let it accumulate to the point where you need to shovel it in the AM if you could sweep it once before bed and once when you get up?