Going to Confession tomorrow

[servingHim]

I asked this in the AAA section, but I need a quick response so I thought I’d try it here.
I am going to Confession for the first time for a LONG LONG time. (We’re talking probably more than 15 years.)
I am embarrased to ask this, but I am not even sure what I need to say other than “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Could someone help me so I will not be completely embarrased tomorrow?
Also, I am worried because I know it is now possible for me to remember every single mortal sin I have committed. I know I committed mortal sins before I really started studying my faith and understanding exactly what the Church teaches and why. Am I doomed forever if I do not specifically confess every sin I have ever committed? If I ask forgiveness for lying, am I absolved from all instances where I lied or just the specific instances I can come up with?
I would appreciate anyone taking the time to help this ignorant Catholic.

 

[puzzleannie]

search the liturgy and sacraments forum under penance, confession, reconciliation or examination of conscience. This question has been answered recently on several threads, some if which have great links on form for confession, examination of conscience, what about forgetting sins etc. Way to go, man, you are going to feel so GREAT when it’s over.

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

I asked this in the AAA section, but I need a quick response so I thought I’d try it here.
I am going to Confession for the first time for a LONG LONG time. (We’re talking probably more than 15 years.)
I am embarrased to ask this, but I am not even sure what I need to say other than “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Could someone help me so I will not be completely embarrased tomorrow?
Also, I am worried because I know it is now possible for me to remember every single mortal sin I have committed. I know I committed mortal sins before I really started studying my faith and understanding exactly what the Church teaches and why. Am I doomed forever if I do not specifically confess every sin I have ever committed? If I ask forgiveness for lying, am I absolved from all instances where I lied or just the specific instances I can come up with?
I would appreciate anyone taking the time to help this ignorant Catholic.

I’ve been in that situation; in my case, it was about 20 years away. I wasn’t sure what to say, either (and the line for confession was pretty long, so I had time to think about it!), so I just started with “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned”. I then explained that I had been away from the Church for 20 years and wanted to come back, and that I wasn’t sure how to proceed in confession. Father took over at that point, and helped me along – asking me questions which helped me to realize what I needed to confess.

When you’ve been away from confession for a long time, you’re not going to remember the exact number of every sin you committed, so just state them the best you can. You may have to word it as “I did such-and-such at least once a week”, or “I did such-and-such on a regular basis.”

I ended with what I was taught to say as a kid – “For these, and all the sins of my past life, I am truly sorry.”

As long as you confess to the best of your ability and memory, and don’t deliberately withhold mortal sins, it is all forgiven by the sacrament.

I hope you have a very blessed experience! If your priest is anything like mine was, he’ll be very happy to have you there!

**Crazy Internet Junkies Society (Mudgie/Junkie Hybrid)
**Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag

 

[lizaanne]

On one occasion I was away from confession for a long time. I felt that I had a library of sins to confess, and I was so worried about forgetting anything. I had a really wonderful little booklet with a good examination of conscious, and so as I went through the process of examination, I made notes on a small piece of paper - sort of in code so only I would understand what it meant. Father even blessed me for making a very thorough confession. Afterward, I burned the piece of paper, which for me was quite satisfying, knowing that God had forgiven these sins, and that they were no more than ashes to me now.

Congratulations! You are going to feel so wonderful!!! And scrubbed shiny clean! :extrahappy:

~Liza

 

[DiggidyDog]

… and so as I went through the process of examination, I made notes on a small piece of paper - sort of in code so only I would understand what it meant. …
~Liza

I did that too! I found it helped to remember everything. Afterwards I realized that I wrote the codes on the back of my business card. I put it thru the shredder.

To the OP: just relax, nothing to be afraid of. For myself, last Christmas I went to confession for the first time in 12 years and it felt great. I have been several times since then, now that I have that monkey off my back.

 

[jmcrae]

I am embarrased to ask this, but I am not even sure what I need to say other than “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Could someone help me so I will not be completely embarrased tomorrow?

Say, “Forgive me Father for I have sinned. My last confession was 15 years ago. Within that period of time, the sins I committed included … For these, for any that I may have accidentally forgotten to confess, and for all the sins of my life, I am truly sorry.”

He will then give you some words of assurance, and he may ask you for your Act of Contrition. (Not all priests ask for this.) If he does, you can recite the following:

**My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.

Amen**

You can also make up your own Act of Contrition. The elements of an Act of Contrition are: sorrow for sins, the resolution to avoid committing sin in the future, and the resolution to avoid situations that cause you to be tempted to sin.

Also, I am worried because I know it is now possible for me to remember every single mortal sin I have committed. I know I committed mortal sins before I really started studying my faith and understanding exactly what the Church teaches and why. Am I doomed forever if I do not specifically confess every sin I have ever committed? If I ask forgiveness for lying, am I absolved from all instances where I lied or just the specific instances I can come up with?
I would appreciate anyone taking the time to help this ignorant Catholic.

Just do your very best. With regard to the number of times you lied, you can say, “During the period of this year to that year, I was in the habit of telling lies to this person and that person, every time I spoke to them on the subject of,” or whatever the case may be. For example (a hypothetical) - “I lied to my mother about the fact that my boyfriend was living with me, to give her the impression that he lived somewhere else. He was living with me for six years, and I lied to my mother about that for the whole period of the six years. I stole his music player, many of his books, and his TV set when we broke up at the end of the period of six years, when I found out that he had no intentions of marrying me or helping me financially in the raising of our child. I may have also used some swear words and taken the name of the Lord in vain when speaking to him on the telephone during the year after that break-up.”

Remember, God isn’t standing there with a clip-board checking off whether you remember every single sin you ever committed. He’s just glad to have you back with Him in His Church, and that you are doing your best to be sorry for your sins and repent of the things that caused you to leave the Church.

 

[THurifer2]

No matter what by going to confession you are going to make one priest and multitudes of Angels very very very Happy…along with countless other souls including all of the Saints and the Mother of God and especially GOD himself will be sooooooo happy.

 

[servingHim]

Thank you all for your answers and support. It may sound weird but it’s almost like I can feel a “hug” from you all. I have been faced with some personal struggles lately…physical, spiritual, emotional, you name it. I would appreciate any prayers.

 

[jmcrae]

Thank you all for your answers and support. It may sound weird but it’s almost like I can feel a “hug” from you all. I have been faced with some personal struggles lately…physical, spiritual, emotional, you name it. I would appreciate any prayers.

You have them.

The Angels up in Heaven are going like this, because they are so excited that you are going to go to Confession: :extrahappy: :extrahappy: :extrahappy: :extrahappy:

 

[servingHim]

I never really left the Church. I was in my opinion very poorly catchecized. I have been going to Mass my whole life. Granted, there were periods of my life when I got “distracted” and didn’t attend every Sunday. I never understood confession was required. I never knew why contraception was banned until a few months ago. As a teacher in a Catholic school it is one of my goals to make sure my children and my students understand some of the things I never grew up to understand.
Thanks again for your support.

 

[Eileen_T]

I understand what you might be going through. When I built the website for our parish, I included a guide for people who hadn’t been to Confession for a long time. If you want to print it out, copy and paste it into a Word page as it isn’t printer friendly. I’ll have to do that at some stage.
holyfamily.org.nz/making_a_confession

Don’t forget that receiving Holy Communion on Divine Maercy Sunday and performimg some act of mercy, having made a good confession, you will receive the promise of Mercy.

On that Feast Day, the floodgates of Heaven are opened for us and we receive an abundance of Grace. Ask whatever you want from God because miracles happen.

 

[servingHim]

I understand what you might be going through. When I built the website for our parish, I included a guide for people who hadn’t been to Confession for a long time. If you want to print it out, copy and paste it into a Word page as it isn’t printer friendly. I’ll have to do that at some stage.
holyfamily.org.nz/making_a_confession

Don’t forget that receiving Holy Communion on Divine Maercy Sunday and performimg some act of mercy, having made a good confession, you will receive the promise of Mercy.

On that Feast Day, the floodgates of Heaven are opened for us and we receive an abundance of Grace. Ask whatever you want from God because miracles happen.

Again, I am ignorant! I have never heard of Divine Mercy Sunday.

 

[jmcrae]

Again, I am ignorant! I have never heard of Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday.

We are supposed to go to Confession during the period between Easter Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday in order to receive the graces of the Novena. Many parish churches will also be hosting Divine Mercy prayer services on Divine Mercy Sunday - plan to attend, if there’s going to be one near you.

 

[LilyM]

Again, I am ignorant! I have never heard of Divine Mercy Sunday.

Well, it was only declared back in 2000, so it’s not like it’s been around forever! Here is some information on it.

My prayers for you, and don’t be a stranger to the confessional any more!

 

[Eileen_T]

Go here ewtn.com/tv/prime_wednesday.asp and listen to ETN Live in the “Archived Video in RealVideo” section. I just listened to Fr Mitch Pacwa. After the topic of the Russian Orthodox orchestral concert that will be performed at the Vatican this weekend, he talks to a priest about Divine Mercy Sunday. (About 8 minutes in)

The point is that, having fulfilled the Divine Mercy requirements, the floodgates of God are open on the Feast Day and miracles happen. The priest talked about praying all that Sunday one year for his father’s return to the Sacraments. He had been away for a very long time. That evening his mother phoned and told him his father had gone to Confession that day.

Guess what I am going to spend Divine Mercy Sunday doing? I have so many family members to pray for.

 

[Anne1964]

I went to confession last year for the first time in 25 years. I took a list with me so I would remember to mention the really big sins. I was nervous, but I felt so wonderful afterwards, and the priest was very happy that I was there.

He led me through the steps and was happy to answer my questions. He also gave me some excellent advice.

Congratulations! You’re going to feel great!

 

[otjm]

God doesn’t play “gotcha!”. It is entirley possible you may forget some sins. Get a good examination of conscience, take notes if you feel it is necessary; quit worrying about every last detail. You are there to say “I am sorry” and the priest is there to say “You are forgiven”.

If something occurs to you later and you want to take it up in another confession, fine (although you are not required to do so, many people feel better if they do); but as long as you are repentant of your sins, and the one forgotten is one you would be repentnant of had you remembered it, you are forgiven.

Welcome back! And Happy Easter!