Frequent Confession

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johnpaul2_fan said:
Frequent confession also helps root out frequent sins. Usually there’s a deeper cause or sinful tendency that is the root of the sins.

Also in regards to venial sins a good examination of conscious helps. (Not that you need to look through a long list like this every time you go to confession, but I find it helps to a few times a year.)

I got this from phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=7676
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Thanks johnpaul2_fan. (Generally if you are reposting something large that is already somewhere else – you can simply provide a link.)
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The link that you have provided is very good. It provides five different “EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE’s”. I have not read it in its entireity – but I would do that in the next few weeks (at least before lent is out.)
Thanks again,
O.O.
 
o_o_82 said:
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This advice could only come from a Deacon. For an average practicing Catholic, the priest would never have an idea about any of your previous sins – due to the large number of laity and very few priests. As a Deacon you may be a prominent person in your Parish – but in most cases I don’t think that this is practical now.
O.O.
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Any “average practicing Catholic” can get the same priest for their confession and the priest will remember you especially if you go to him frequently. Generally one would just have to talk to a particular priest and set up an appointment with him. One can even set up a reoccuring appointment. It’s not difficult, it just takes more effort than showing up at a random parish on any random time they have confession. Oh yeah and you’ll have to be okay with the priest knowing who you are.
 
o_o_82 said:
Your post does not talk about the Eucharist? It explains the importance of Confession – but it does not compare it with that of the Eucharist. (Anyway I posted this question to the Staff Apologist – so I hope we get some answers.)

O.O.
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Well, no it does not mention the eucharist, but I was extrapolating from the quote that Jesus was telling her that frequent confession is good for us. There must be additional graces (or more?) that we get from the sacrament of penance, too. Why would he command her to go to confession if the eucharist was “enough?”

In another section, Jesus is quoted as saying:
My daughter, do not omit Holy Communion unless you know well that your fall was serious; apart from this, no doubt must stop you from uniting yourself with Me in the mystery of My love. Your minor faults will disappear in My love like a piece of straw thrown into a great furnace. Know that you grieve Me much when you fail to receive Me in Holy Communion.(156)
My daughter, write that it pains Me very much when religious souls receive the Sacrament of Love merely out of habit, as if they did not distinguish this food. I find neither faith, nor love in their hearts. I go to such souls with great reluctance. It would be better if they did not receive Me. (1288)

I desire to unite Myself to human souls, Know, My daughter, **that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. **But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things…They treat Me as a dead object. (1385)

Again, putting these two quotes together, I believe that the Lord is telling us that we need BOTH frequent confession and frequent communion.

I am not a theologian, and I can not tell you specifically why we need both sacraments, but it does sound to me like frequent reception of both sacraments, done humbly and sincerely and with trust, is very pleasing to our Lord. For me, 'nuff said. 🙂
 
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water:
Thanks for searching for these links water.
O.O.
 
countertenor said:
Any “average practicing Catholic” can get the same priest for their confession and the priest will remember you especially if you go to him frequently. Generally one would just have to talk to a particular priest and set up an appointment with him. One can even set up a reoccuring appointment. It’s not difficult, it just takes more effort than showing up at a random parish on any random time they have confession. Oh yeah and you’ll have to be okay with the priest knowing who you are.
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countertenor – I am not going to argue with you on this topic. If you are living in a place which has a lot of priests consider yourself lucky.
O.O.
 
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mommyof4:
Thanks for all the trouble mommyof4. I think I got the all information I need. I just hope this is sufficient to the person I might have to prove this to (especially if some priest points out that frequent confession it is not necessary.)
Thanks again,
O.O.
 
I can offer what I have been trying to do. I have wondered about the exact same questions, and about a year ago I committed to start attending confession once a month.

While the Eucharist and Mass are very powerful in helping us on our path, Confession is a sacrament too with significant grace and aid to resist temptation. So I wanted to frequent it more.

Many examination of consciences focus on the ten commandments. I do that too when preparing for confession, but I concluded that the answer to your question about what the saints (and people like Pope JP II) confess is based on an examination of their conscience against the true bar Jesus has set for us - the Sermon on the Mount.

So what I do is prayerfully read/consider the words of the Sermon on the Mount, and also Matthew 25, the story of the sheep and the goats. I find this is a whole treasure trove of sins for me :o Some things to think about, that come from that reading:
  1. How many times did you pass the poor box without contributing?
  2. Did you offer help to elderly that are around you when the chance arises?
  3. Did you visit anyone in need that was sick or incarcerated?
  4. How proactive were you with your time? ARe you making enough time out of 168 hours/week for prayer, helping the poor, helping the sick. taking on extra jobs around the house, etc.?
When any of us think about it this way we may see a lot we need to do to achieve the bar Jesus truly set for us.
 
I just discovered this thread today, so forgive me if I’m “beating a dead horse” …

There’s a wonderful little book that might shed further light on this question:

Frequent Confession: Its Place in the Spiritual Life by Benedict Baur, O.S.B., Scepter Publishers, ISBN 1-889334-16-2

It examines in detail the subject of frequent confession: its purpose and advantages, practical considerations, etc. From the introduction to the book, a couple more examples:

In a famous passage of the 1943 encyclical on the Mystical Body of Christ … Pope Pius XII warned about “the opinions of those who assert that little importance should be given to the frequent confession of venial sins.” He stated in very clear words that “to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, we will that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, should be earnestly advocated.” He cited some of the benefits to be derived from it: “Genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the sacrament itself.” …

In one of his homilies Monsignor [Saint Josemaría] Escrivá de Balaguer said: “… To win the battles of the soul, the best strategy often is to bide one’s time and apply the suitable remedy with patience and perseverance … Our all-powerful and merciful Lord has granted us the precise means with which to conquer. As I have already mentioned, all we have to do is to use them, resolving to begin again and again at every moment, should it prove necessary. I would like to see you going to the holy sacrament of Penance, the sacrament of divine forgiveness, every week, and indeed whenever you need it, without giving in to scruples. Clothed in grace, we can cross mountains (cf. Ps 103:10), and climb the hill of our Christian duty, without halting on the way.”

I hope this helps. God bless you.
 
awalt said:
Many examination of consciences focus on the ten commandments. I do that too when preparing for confession, but I concluded that the answer to your question about what
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I add the Seven Deadly sins to my pre-reconciliation examination of conscience.
 
Thanks awalt. I have just begun to start learning.

Thanks PhilotheaZ for taking the time to type those para’s.

I would like to mention that my thread in the “Ask an Apologist” forum has not been answered. However a very similar question has been answered by a Apologist here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=136995

I think I have sufficient information for now. Thanks to all you guys for sharing.
O.O.
 
o_o_82 said:
Thanks awalt. I have just begun to start learning.

Thanks PhilotheaZ for taking the time to type those para’s.

I would like to mention that my thread in the “Ask an Apologist” forum has not been answered. However a very similar question has been answered by a Apologist here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=136995

I think I have sufficient information for now. Thanks to all you guys for sharing.
O.O.
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Yes, I read the answer from Ask an Apologist too. 🙂
This thread actually helps me too. I was quite tired this afternoon, but I made it to the confessional today.

Though I am still tired physically, but spiritually I feel healthier. 🙂

God bless.
 
The other day I read the following from Pope Benedict:

…you do not always have to go to confession before you receive Communion unless you have committed such serious sins that they need to be confessed….It is only necessary when you have committed a really serious sin, when you have deeply offended Jesus, so that your friendship is destroyed and you have to start again.

My second point: even if, as I said, it is not necessary to go to confession before each Communion, it is very helpful to confess with a certain regularity. It is true: our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same; in order to live in cleanliness, in order to start again.
Taken from:
Catechetical Meeting of the Holy Father with Children who had received their First Communion during the Year

St Peter’s Square
Saturday, 15 October 2005
 
m134e5 said:
They may not have mortal sins to confess, but they do have venial sins and imperfections. Confession has two functions- it restores sanctifying grace to the penitent who confesses mortal sins, and it strengthens those who are already in a state of grace. When you go often, the priest can see patterns in your sins, and can give you better advice.
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Beautifully written!!
 
Shellie said:
The other day I read the following from Pope Benedict:

…you do not always have to go to confession before you receive Communion unless you have committed such serious sins that they need to be confessed….It is only necessary when you have committed a really serious sin, when you have deeply offended Jesus, so that your friendship is destroyed and you have to start again.

My second point: even if, as I said, it is not necessary to go to confession before each Communion, it is very helpful to confess with a certain regularity. It is true: our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same; in order to live in cleanliness, in order to start again.
Taken from:
Catechetical Meeting of the Holy Father with Children who had received their First Communion during the Year

St Peter’s Square
Saturday, 15 October 2005
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Oh brilliant. I should print this and Pope Pius XII and St Josemaria’s comments on weekly confession out and take them to a priest of my acquaintance who appears to believe that weekly confession is too frequent :mad:
 
LilyM said:
Oh brilliant. I should print this and Pope Pius XII and St Josemaria’s comments on weekly confession out and take them to a priest of my acquaintance who appears to believe that weekly confession is too frequent :mad:
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Yes, this is one of the reasons I asked it. I have recently got a bit of more free time (for the next 6 months) so I thought of improving my practice of the faith. I found that once the priests see that you come regularly with only venial sins – they discourage you from coming. (I just had my confession last Friday – and I think I would start another thread on what the priest told me 🙂 )
O.O.
 
To OP and others who believe in frequent confession, here is what I think:

Though venial sins are pardoned during Mass, and don’t need to be confessed, the Sacrament of Confession is a Sacrament of mercy. It helps to hold ourselves accountable when we concretely articulate our fault to another person. It also gives us a chance to practice humility, receive additional grace in order to avoid sin.

Not only from the psychological point of view it helps to hear the words “I absolve all your sins”, the priest also gives advices to help the person avoid sin in the future. One attains a certainty of forgiveness, also receives healing. Confession is a Sacrament of mercy. We run to mercy, we don’t run away from mercy. There are lots of God’s grace in confession.

I used to go confession once or twice a year. Last Lent, I felt the need of striving for holiness so I started to do it regularly.

My spiritual director told me no more than once a month, so I go confession every six weeks when I see him in the SD session. And it really made a difference in my walk with the Lord. I find the Lord raise the bar higher and higher. Things used to be no big deal and no need to confess now all catch my attention. With regular frequent confession, I can see my own progress and improvement. I am experiencing more intimacy with the Lord. I am so grateful to be a Catholic with the privilege of the Sacrament of Reconciliation! This is indeed a beautiful loving and healing sacrament.
 
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