Frequent Confession questions

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Fizendell

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I think there was a poll here recently that asked when our last confession was or how often we go to confession and I seem to recall that a great number of you go weekly or at least more than once a month.

So I’m wondering - do you do a lot of reading about confession, sins of omission and comission, holiness, etc.?

What I’m thinking about is the tendency to confess “the same things” and while I realize that by recognizing patterns and confessing them, I am more apt to overcome them - or overcome them sooner in the comission of them - I wonder if I should be digging deeper.

For instance - if I find that gossiping is a big fault that I tend to confess week after week - how do I dig deeper into that? How do I find the root so that I might receive grace to heal the problem and not just the symptoms?

I think this flows into the “amend my life” promise I make. What if amending my life means I don’t go to lunch with those whom I tend to gossip with and I find that to be a very difficult thing to do? Am I being disobedient by going to lunch with them, or just choosing not to do something I thought up?

I tend to think a lot, but I’m not always sure that the things I think are of God or my old nature.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be great.

fyi: I already read The Imitation of Christ, Introduction to the Devout Life every day. I just started reading The Sinner’s Guide. Perhaps this is a case of needing to read smaller segments and journaling afterwards to see what comes out and then discuss with my confessor?

I just don’t want to feel I’ve hit a plateau - where I know I sin, but it’s the same ol’ thing!

One other question - do you confess a mortal sin from your past at every confession, or only if one is brought to mind?

Thanks!
=)
Kat
 
Kat,

My first suggestion is to make sure you always use the same confessor. He can detect a pattern of behavior and help you devise ways to break any habitual sins that you may find in your life. You might also consider finding a spiritual director (or, as we call them in the East, a Spiritual Father) who will help you in finding your path to God.

Deacon Ed
 
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Fizendell:
I think there was a poll here recently that asked when our last confession was or how often we go to confession and I seem to recall that a great number of you go weekly or at least more than once a month.

So I’m wondering - do you do a lot of reading about confession, sins of omission and comission, holiness, etc.?

What I’m thinking about is the tendency to confess “the same things” and while I realize that by recognizing patterns and confessing them, I am more apt to overcome them - or overcome them sooner in the comission of them - I wonder if I should be digging deeper.

For instance - if I find that gossiping is a big fault that I tend to confess week after week - how do I dig deeper into that? How do I find the root so that I might receive grace to heal the problem and not just the symptoms?

I think this flows into the “amend my life” promise I make. What if amending my life means I don’t go to lunch with those whom I tend to gossip with and I find that to be a very difficult thing to do? Am I being disobedient by going to lunch with them, or just choosing not to do something I thought up?

I tend to think a lot, but I’m not always sure that the things I think are of God or my old nature.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be great.

fyi: I already read The Imitation of Christ, Introduction to the Devout Life every day. I just started reading The Sinner’s Guide. Perhaps this is a case of needing to read smaller segments and journaling afterwards to see what comes out and then discuss with my confessor?

I just don’t want to feel I’ve hit a plateau - where I know I sin, but it’s the same ol’ thing!

One other question - do you confess a mortal sin from your past at every confession, or only if one is brought to mind?

Thanks!
=)
Kat
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catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0118.html
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I had been away from confession for many years and just recently started going on a regular basis…usually every two weeks. It was a talk by Father John Corapi on EWTN which made me come back to the sacrament. I think it was a matter of laziness and shame that kept me away. I am sure most here go to confession often, but I think of all those at Mass on Sunday who never go! Yet, they receive the Eucharist along with everyone else. I wonder how many are in the state of grace when they receive communion?? Receiving communion, knowing you have a mortal sin on your soul, is a sacrilege and that too is a mortal sin. Week after week going to communion adds to that sin. The Pastor never brings up this at Mass and I feel it should be brought to the attention of the parishioners. I can remember the days when confessions were heard every Saturday afternoon for about 3 hours and again on Saturday evening for 2 hours! Now, our parish as about 30 minutes of confession on Saturday afternoon. I never see anyone there! Boy, have we as Catholics changed over the past 30 years or so. Is it laziness, shame, or lack of knowledge about mortal sin and how it is absolved?? In this year of the Eucharist, I am suprised that the topic of confession, mortal sin and the reception of communion never are brought out at Mass. Comments???
 
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mainelyned:
In this year of the Eucharist, I am suprised that the topic of confession, mortal sin and the reception of communion never are brought out at Mass. Comments???
Click to expand...
Good point. Maybe Benedict XVI will declare next year the “Year of the Confessional”. 😉
 
Fiz: Once you confess your sins and sincerely disclose all sins which you can remember then ALL of your sins are absolved…even the sins you might have overlooked. Confession is the ONLY ordinary way to be reconciled with God and with the Church if you have commited a mortal sin. If you are aware of a mortal sin, you are obligated to confess it and should not receive communion until you have gone to confession, otherwise you are commiting another mortal sin! Remember, to be mortal, a sin must meet three conditions: It must be a grave matter, there must be sufficient reflection or awareness of the seriousness of the choice one is making and there must be full consent of the will-you must freely choose to do what you know to be seriously wrong. The question is what is “grave” matter! The Catechism illustrates many such as fornication, murder, abortion, blasphemy, adultery, etc. I use the following when I am finished telling the priest my sins: “For these and all the sins I can’t remember, I am sorry.” (That is what I was taught when I made my first confession many, many, many years ago:) ) An examination of conscience is a way to determine what your sins are. I use the ten commandments and go through them to see if I have violated one of them…it works!
 
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