Have you confessed all your sins?

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I get that. My first confession was when I was 43. I had 43 years worth of really nasty crap to unload. I had rehearsed in my mind how I was going to carefully phrase everything to minimize the embarrassment. When the door closed on the confessional closed, it all just spilled out in its most unfiltered form. Was it uncomfortable? Yeah it was, but the priest was so loving and gentle that none of that mattered. It was an experience that I treasure and will never forget.
 
YourNameHere said:
I am not sure that I am worthy of forgiveness. I have said and done some things in my life that I am not proud of.
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Maybe God has decided that you’re worthy of forgiveness. All you need to do is ask.
 
It all comes down to what the details need to be known. 20 times can be said like, I said God’s name in vain multiple times. Or saying you stole a great sum of money. Details will be asked if needed, only so that the mortal sin isnt all that vague in description.
 
And you do know that a priest can never ever tell what he hears in the confessional? If he does he could (would) be excommunicated. So anything you say is between you and the priest and God. That’s always a comfort to me. Plus the fact most priests seem to forget anything said. I’ve gone to confession feeling ashamed and come out feeling a hundred times lighter. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
But you’re not confessing them to another man. You’re confessing them to someone in persona Christi, the person of Christ. Go to a confessional with a screen and imagine Jesus Himself there waiting for you and absolving you, because in the spirit realm that is what is happening. Our eyes and ears can not perceive this spiritual truth. Kind of like how in baptism it just looks like regular water, but we know there is a greater spiritual truth than what we can perceive that is happening.

P.S. I went to confession after not having been in 18 years! I was afraid the priest would fuss me, but that wasn’t the case at all. I’m nobody special, if I can do it, you can do it. Have courage! Now I love confession, it’s like flossing.
 
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I’ll pray for you, what’s your first name? Admitting your darkest sins is one of the most humiliating and humbling things to confront. It will be a big relief once you do.
 
I went to confession for the first time in about 10 years. This time I was really scared but I took a chance to see how it went. I went to a priest who I felt most comfortable with and told him about my sins and how I began 2 years ago returning back to church after being absent for a few years. I also mentioned a couple of other sins. The priest was so kind and walked me through the process as I was confessing. He did ask questions as well as offer some thoughts which were very helpful. He invited me back to confession if I feel the need to do so. I will tell you that I don’t feel that I did a complete confession but this first one truly did help me and truly making me think about some other things that I do want to say that I feel that I need to. But, when I am ready I will do so. This priest did not really know who I was when I saw him in confession but since I have been, he has been really encouraging and very happy to see that I am there in mass. The initial step is a hard one as it took me almost two years to do it. I decided Lent 2018 was the time to do this. I am most happiest that I have been in a long time, and I am on the right path but still have a ways to go with my faith journey.
 
I would say that most people find it more difficult to make up their mind to go to confession and also prepare for confession than the actual confession. It is about seeing who you really are as a human being, the good as well as all bad actions we do.

Those being received into the Catholic Church are sometimes joking among them with how many “years” they have to confess. “You’re lucky with 30 years, I have 60!”. Sometimes someone would reply: “And those being baptised run the short track!”
 
The fact that it troubles you means you know what you need to do.
There is never a good reason not to get it off our chest, our souls, and off the table so we can approach the sacrificial table worthily.
The Eucharist is far more valuable than your embarrassment

Go to confession

You’ll feel wonderful afterward.
The priest doesn’t care what we have done, and God already knows what we have done.
 
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Implying that there are some priests who do not believe in the power of the sacrament only makes people feel worse. :roll_eyes:

The guy is looking for encouragement, not another reason for doubt.

Let’s give our priests some support here!
 
Just saw your thread. You probably have been given good advice already. I would say the difficult part is making that first move. Once you decide to go for Confession you’d be surprised how easy it can be. So I would advise you to make that first move to Confession. Relate your sins in kind and in numbers, to avoid having to go into embarrassing details. But of course, it is just you; as for the priest, he would most probably has heard everything under the sun, another Confession, no matter how dramatic it may be, would probably not startle him off his seat.

Unless of course, if you are living in sin and has no plan to stop it.

God bless.
 
I am also of the same opinion why go to confession to a Priest, he is also a human and a sinner.
I can’t remember one verse which mentions that we should go to a priest for confession neither did Jesus advice us to do so. Just ask God for forgiveness and carry on with your daily life. We are mortals and bound to stumble.
 
pianistclare said:
You’ll feel wonderful afterward.
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Advise caution giving this promise to people. Not everyone “feels wonderful” after Confession or after receiving the Eucharist or after praying the Rosary, and that is okay. We do not rely on feelings.

The OP may very well walk out of the confessional and feel the same, or even feel “bad”. A sincere Confession and Absolution still happened.
 
hmmmm 🤔

I agree with PC. I can’t imagine that a person, knowing that their sins are COMPLETELY washed away would not feel joy.

I know I do.
If they don’t maybe they don’t feel worthy to be healed? Wonder why?
 
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YourNameHere said:
There sometimes needs some explanation.
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In confession, you only need any sort of additional information when the details change the nature of the sin. For example, stealing church property would be mentioned because it is both theft and sacrilege.
YourNameHere said:
For example, if I were an embezzler, would I say, I stole money or I stole $20,000?
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For something like theft I would say mention what you stole as it affects the gravity, so I’d say if you stole $20,000 you should mention that.
YourNameHere said:
Do were say things like, I used the name of the Lord in vein or I used the name of the Lord in vein 20 or so times?
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You must give the number as best as you can. If you don’t know it give an approximation, or mention the frequency (e.g. about three times a week for a year).

So yeah, just kind (murder, blasphemy, fornication, calumny, presumption, lust, whatever else-- the priest has pretty much heard it all many times over), number or approximation, and important circumstances.

If you withheld mortal sins while in confession in the past, confess those as well, and I’m not sure if you were aware but deliberately withholding mortal sins means none are forgiven, the confession is invalid and an additional sin of sacrilege was committed. So don’t do it!
 
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The priest is acting Persona Christi.Invision Our Lord on the other side of the screen.He is all loving and merciful.No need to be afraid.Additionally,the more often you frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation ,the more eager you will be to divulge all your sins.
 
@yournamehere WOW, I totally understand and feel what your post was about. I am a new Catholic, just came in this Easter and had to make my first confession. gulp I was so scared, embarrassed, etc. In the line for confession when I can up next I went to back of the line again at least twice! When I finally got the guts to go in I went straight to the screen, not face to face. I carried a prayer card of the Divine Mercy image to look at while I spoke. I tried to start but only busted out in tears. The Priest repeat a few words of comfort, and patiently waited. Then it all came out, all the bad, ugly, vile, dark, and secret sins I carried all my life. Then when I purged my soul, emptied my closet of secrets, guess what the Priest next words were… “Is that it?” … WHAT?!? I nearly fell over! I was thinking, here I am telling him the worst of my life and he says just calmly and matter if factly… Is that it!!! No intake of breath in shock, no Oh my exclamation just “Is that it?” Lol, it made stop and think, well my goodness, is there ANYTHING ELSE, I actually sat there on my knees, thinking. Then I said, Nope. Things proceeded and I heard the sweetest words of my whole life, …" I therefore absolve you…" I broke out in a grin, and thru puffy eyes I smiled all the way out. So it’s OK, you are not telling a man your sins, you are gaining Salvation thru Christ Mercy. You are leaning on the physical church here, for a spiritual grace over there. The Priest do not remember what you say because they hear so much all time and most of the time, its worse than ours! Take heart, for Christ loves you!
 
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