Have you ever had an awesome Confession experience?

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My dd and I did today! I have gone to this priest on a few occasions–this was the first parish we attended last year, when moving to Florida. We don’t care for the overall parish, and joined a different one. But, we attend Confession here.

I have to say that I came away this afternoon feeling so liberated…so free. I usually do from confession, but there was something ultra special about this experience. I told the priest today that I had been ‘remembering some older sins that I forgot to confess in the past…’ (and so I confessed them today) He said that the next time, simply tell the priest…‘and for all of the sins that I might not be remembering right now.’ During the absolution, he said…‘and I forgive you for aaaallllll of your sins…’ And we both chuckled. It’s hard to explain, probably seems minor reading this…but it was such a moving experience today.

My daughter said that he also taught her about being nice to her brother, she really ‘enjoyed’ the experience today.

Is it ok to enjoy it?😊

I was hopeful that we could share very moving Confession experiences in this thread? Hope to hear yours.🙂
 
whatevergirl said:
My dd and I did today! I have gone to this priest on a few occasions–this was the first parish we attended last year, when moving to Florida. We don’t care for the overall parish, and joined a different one. But, we attend Confession here.

I have to say that I came away this afternoon feeling so liberated…so free. I usually do from confession, but there was something ultra special about this experience. I told the priest today that I had been ‘remembering some older sins that I forgot to confess in the past…’ (and so I confessed them today) He said that the next time, simply tell the priest…‘and for all of the sins that I might not be remembering right now.’ During the absolution, he said…‘and I forgive you for aaaallllll of your sins…’ And we both chuckled. It’s hard to explain, probably seems minor reading this…but it was such a moving experience today.

My daughter said that he also taught her about being nice to her brother, she really ‘enjoyed’ the experience today.

Is it ok to enjoy it?😊

I was hopeful that we could share very moving Confession experiences in this thread? Hope to hear yours.🙂
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Sure, afterall, we receives graces after confession.

I had a memorable one after my first confession this past Lent. Yes, I stumbled through it, but I felt wonderful afterwards. I wanted to RUN up to the altar and jump up and down! That feeling stayed with me all night.
 
Jennifer_G said:
Sure, afterall, we receives graces after confession.

I had a memorable one after my first confession this past Lent. Yes, I stumbled through it, but I felt wonderful afterwards. I wanted to RUN up to the altar and jump up and down! That feeling stayed with me all night.
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Yes:thumbsup: …I suppose I should have said, that every confession, every time we have that opportunity to ‘make things right with God,’ is always a time for rejoicing, and I do…BUT, there was something so special about today. It felt for a moment, like the priest and I were the only ones on earth for a moment, like I could truly hear a glimpse of Christ laughing with me. Most of the time, when I imagine Christ–I don’t see Him laughing. It is hard to explain, I hope I don’t sound crazy. LOL I just found it to be more moving than other confessions.
 
Hi WG… yes indeed! After my conversion (which I fully credit to Our Blessed Mother)… but BEFORE my first Confession (so I could return to the Sacraments)… I was very afraid. I hadn’t been to Confession in over 10 years. This fear went on for a number of weeks. I started praying to our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II… to help me find the courage to go to Confession. Because I felt Our Lord and Our Lady… calling me back to the Catholic Church.

Boy, did JPII come through!👍

When I got to the church… the first thing I noticed, was that the priest hearing my Confession had the SAME last name as we do. Ok, that was strange enough. But when he gave me my penance… I nearly fell over backwards off the kneeler. He said:

“For your penance, I ask you to “Be Not Afraid””

Well, we all know… that “Be Not Afraid” was one of John Paul II’s favorite messages of hope. I felt so at peace, in my heart… that our late Holy Father John Paul II… had indeed prayed for me… and obtained the graces I needed, to make that first difficult Confession. Praise God! 🙂
 
MarieVeronica said:
Hi WG… yes indeed! After my conversion (which I fully credit to Our Blessed Mother)… but BEFORE my first Confession (so I could return to the Sacraments)… I was very afraid. I hadn’t been to Confession in over 10 years. This fear went on for a number of weeks. I started praying to our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II… to help me find the courage to go to confession. Because I felt Our Lord and Our Lady… calling me back to the Catholic Church.

Boy, did JPII come through!👍

When I got to the church… the first thing I noticed, was that the priest hearing my confession had the SAME last name as we do. Ok, that was strange enough. But when he gave me my penance… I nearly fell over backwards off the kneeler. He said:

“For your penance, I ask you to “Be Not Afraid””

Well, we all know… that “Be Not Afraid” was one of John Paul II’s favorite messages. I felt so at peace, in my heart… that our late Holy Father John Paul II… had indeed prayed for me… and obtained the graces I needed, to make that first difficult confession. Praise God! 🙂
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Oh my, my eyes are welling up.:o That is a beautiful confession experience if I have heard any!
 
MarieVeronica said:
It’s one of the (many) reasons for my personal devotion to John Paul II.
“Santo Subito!”

santosubitoonline.com/
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I went to a Reconciliation Service at church one time and I got in line to confess to priest who had an important position in the Diocese (he did not have a parish) and was not very well-liked by certain people (one of those Diocesean political things). I did not know the man and didn’t want to judge him, but I was slightly apprehensive. Well, this priest was absolutely amazing–when he spoke to me, I didn’t hear the priest–I heard Jesus. I looked into his eyes while he was speaking, and they were so full of compassion and love, as if I was looking into Christ’s eyes. I was rather overwhelmed by this and started to cry. And the penance I received was unusual and was exactly what I needed. It was as if he could read my soul. I was on a spiritual high for a few days after that, full of joy, and upon reflection about the experience I now understand what the phrase “in persona Christi” actually means.
 
Oh yes.

Confession overall is a very awesome thing, but there was one that I consider a turning point in my life…

I hadn’t been to confession in about 8 years. And even my confessions before that weren’t valid because I left out some important sins - because I wasn’t planning on stopping them. Anyway - 9/11 happened and that was a wake-up call in my life. Geographically, I’m a long way from Ground Zero, but suddenly I had a real feeling of vulnerability and I knew that if something happened to me, heaven was not going to be my final destination.

It took me a few months to get it all together and to summon the courage and find the time. But I did it. The priest who had married us, now had a tiny parish out in the country. I knew I would be met with compassion. One Tuesday during Advent, I took off of work and went Christmas shopping with plans to go to confession that evening before evening Mass at his parish. I just ASSUMED they had confession before daily Mass. Lots of churches do. Anyway, I was feeling excited that I was finally going to meet Jesus.

I got there early enough, but there was no priest in the confessional. I sat in the back nearby. Finally, one of the “church ladies” came over and asked me if I wanted to go to confession. I said “yes” and she offered to go get Father. I wasn’t too worried, because I would have hunted him down after Mass. A few mintues later, Father shows up in a sweater and khaki pants. He asks me if this was going to take long. [because it was close to time for Mass to start] I told him if he didn’t talk too much, it surely wouldn’t!

I knew what I had to say and laid it all out there. It didn’t take me long. I was kind of surprised that he didn’t bat an eye. I really appreciated that. Anyway, I don’t remember what my penance was, and I think he told me to say an Act of Contrition later. But it was just an amazing experience to experience God’s mercy and grace after so many years without. I think I floated for a couple of days.

Now we go much more often than every 8 years 👍 , but I realized the last time, that not only was I not nervous, but I also didn’t feel the enormous sense of relief or whatever that I used to feel.

Glad you had a really good experience! It’s a sacrament that I’m really glad we have!
 
whatevergirl said:
My dd and I did today! I have gone to this priest on a few occasions–this was the first parish we attended last year, when moving to Florida. We don’t care for the overall parish, and joined a different one. But, we attend Confession here.

I have to say that I came away this afternoon feeling so liberated…so free. I usually do from confession, but there was something ultra special about this experience. I told the priest today that I had been ‘remembering some older sins that I forgot to confess in the past…’ (and so I confessed them today) He said that the next time, simply tell the priest…‘and for all of the sins that I might not be remembering right now.’ During the absolution, he said…‘and I forgive you for aaaallllll of your sins…’ And we both chuckled. It’s hard to explain, probably seems minor reading this…but it was such a moving experience today.

My daughter said that he also taught her about being nice to her brother, she really ‘enjoyed’ the experience today.

Is it ok to enjoy it?😊

I was hopeful that we could share very moving Confession experiences in this thread? Hope to hear yours.🙂
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I always have an awesome experience in the confessional. I return to the Lord and resolve to sin no more - conversion is the most awesome thing - the greatest miracle - in the world. 🙂
 
I LOVE going to confession. Well, not going, but I love the way I feel after I go. I love that I feel forgiven and loved and renewed and right with our Lord again. I love the healing and the wonderful feeling of having a clean slate, of being at peace, of receiving grace. I think it is just an AWESOME sacrament and just wonderful. I often tear up as I say my Act of Contrition, knowing that my Lord loves me so much and is such a forgiving Father, that I am not good, but because of His goodness, I can be forgiven of the things I’ve done, the things I’ve failed to do. AND, that forgiveness is available to anyone who repents of his/her sins and goes to confession. That is just absolutely awesome and an awesome experience every time!
 
SwizzleStick said:
I LOVE going to confession. Well, not going, but I love the way I feel after I go. I love that I feel forgiven and loved and renewed and right with our Lord again. I love the healing and the wonderful feeling of having a clean slate, of being at peace, of receiving grace. I think it is just an AWESOME sacrament and just wonderful. I often tear up as I say my Act of Contrition, knowing that my Lord loves me so much and is such a forgiving Father, that I am not good, but because of His goodness, I can be forgiven of the things I’ve done, the things I’ve failed to do. AND, that forgiveness is available to anyone who repents of his/her sins and goes to confession. That is just absolutely awesome and an awesome experience every time!
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:amen:
 
whatevergirl said:
My dd and I did today! I have gone to this priest on a few occasions–this was the first parish we attended last year, when moving to Florida. We don’t care for the overall parish, and joined a different one. But, we attend Confession here.

I have to say that I came away this afternoon feeling so liberated…so free. I usually do from confession, but there was something ultra special about this experience. I told the priest today that I had been ‘remembering some older sins that I forgot to confess in the past…’ (and so I confessed them today) He said that the next time, simply tell the priest…‘and for all of the sins that I might not be remembering right now.’ During the absolution, he said…‘and I forgive you for aaaallllll of your sins…’ And we both chuckled. It’s hard to explain, probably seems minor reading this…but it was such a moving experience today.

My daughter said that he also taught her about being nice to her brother, she really ‘enjoyed’ the experience today.

Is it ok to enjoy it?😊

I was hopeful that we could share very moving Confession experiences in this thread? Hope to hear yours.🙂
Click to expand...
😃 I’m grinning at your question. Of course it’s OK to enjoy confession. Christ gave it to us as a gift to bring us closer to God. It’s sin we shouldn’t enjoy.

I had a great confession experience with a priest from Miles Christi at a retreat just a couple of weeks ago. He gave such comforting advice and I truly felt a huge weight off…which I don’t always feel. I cried my eyes out and then felt like a newborn baby the rest of the weekend!
 
I too love the sacrament of reconciliation. My very first one had a lasting impact on me - those sins get heavier over time!

I will never forget one time after a particularly difficult confession, Father could sense that the Spirit had one more thing to tell me, and I waited in anticipation… I was not prepared for what he said - he looked me right in the eye and said “God calls you ‘daughter’”.

Wow. I just can’t describe how much that healed me.
 
It does sound kind of funny to say “I love confession”…but I do too! 😃 I didn’t go for such a long time. Then the first time I went back was during Advent. I skipped over all this stuff that I just wasn’t really considering at the time. Then, during Lent it ALL came out and it was absolutely the most freeing experience. When the priest laid hands on me and said those words of absolution I couldn’t decide if I wanted to cry or hug him or run out the door shouting about how great God is! (I did manage to control myself, but was rather giddy for the rest of the night!) I’ve made it a point, since then, to get into the habit of going regularly. I find, too, that going regularly helps me to be more aware of my sins, and hopefully to commit them less often! 😛
 
SwizzleStick said:
I LOVE going to confession. Well, not going, but I love the way I feel after I go. I love that I feel forgiven and loved and renewed and right with our Lord again. I love the healing and the wonderful feeling of having a clean slate, of being at peace, of receiving grace. I think it is just an AWESOME sacrament and just wonderful. I often tear up as I say my Act of Contrition, knowing that my Lord loves me so much and is such a forgiving Father, that I am not good, but because of His goodness, I can be forgiven of the things I’ve done, the things I’ve failed to do. AND, that forgiveness is available to anyone who repents of his/her sins and goes to confession. That is just absolutely awesome and an awesome experience every time!
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I don’t think I’ve ever said it out loud because I didn’t want anyone to think I was crazy, but I LOVE GOING TO CONFESSION TOO! 😃

I could have written word for word SwizzleStick’s above post, except the “I often tear up” part… I would write that “I always tear up.” I don’t think I’ve ever made it dry-eyed to the end of the Act of Contrition!

One confessor that I used to have… he would hand me a tissue as soon as I walked into the Reconciliation Room, he knew me that well.

I don’t think I can name one particularly awesome experience because for me, every time is awesome. I come out floating on a cloud, feeling squeaky clean from the depths of my soul down to the splits on the ends of my hairs. (I really need a haircut! :o )

I will never, ever, be able to understand why so many Catholics don’t avail themselves of this awesome Sacrament more often. :confused:

I’m not trying to steal SwizzleStick’s adjective, awesome, but there just isn’t a better word for Confession – it’s AWESOME !
 
whatevergirl said:
Yes:thumbsup: …I suppose I should have said, that every confession, every time we have that opportunity to ‘make things right with God,’ is always a time for rejoicing, and I do…BUT, there was something so special about today. It felt for a moment, like the priest and I were the only ones on earth for a moment, like I could truly hear a glimpse of Christ laughing with me. Most of the time, when I imagine Christ–I don’t see Him laughing. It is hard to explain, I hope I don’t sound crazy. LOL I just found it to be more moving than other confessions.
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Don’t be to bashful. After my last confession I started laughing halfway through mass for no reason, because I had so much joy!😊
 
Hi…this is an awesome thread. Thanks ‘Whatevergirl’ for starting this thread. I’m really enjoying the posts and glorifying God for his great love. Yes, confession is always an awesome experience for me. I always leave with a sense of deep joy and peace. Praise God.:harp:
 
CB_Catholic said:
I went to a Reconciliation Service at church one time and I got in line to confess to priest who had an important position in the Diocese (he did not have a parish) and was not very well-liked by certain people (one of those Diocesean political things). I did not know the man and didn’t want to judge him, but I was slightly apprehensive. Well, this priest was absolutely amazing–when he spoke to me, I didn’t hear the priest–I heard Jesus. I looked into his eyes while he was speaking, and they were so full of compassion and love, as if I was looking into Christ’s eyes. I was rather overwhelmed by this and started to cry. And the penance I received was unusual and was exactly what I needed. It was as if he could read my soul. I was on a spiritual high for a few days after that, full of joy, and upon reflection about the experience I now understand what the phrase “in persona Christi” actually means.
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Awesome Carolyn! Thank you for the truly heartwarming reminder of just WHAT the Sacrament of Reconciliation is… a personal encounter with Our Loving and Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ!

Now I’m the one with tears welling up! :gopray2:
 
kristie_m said:
It does sound kind of funny to say “I love confession”…but I do too! 😃 I didn’t go for such a long time. Then the first time I went back was during Advent. I skipped over all this stuff that I just wasn’t really considering at the time. Then, during Lent it ALL came out and it was absolutely the most freeing experience. When the priest laid hands on me and said those words of absolution I couldn’t decide if I wanted to cry or hug him or run out the door shouting about how great God is! (I did manage to control myself, but was rather giddy for the rest of the night!) I’ve made it a point, since then, to get into the habit of going regularly. I find, too, that going regularly helps me to be more aware of my sins, and hopefully to commit them less often! 😛
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This is terrific! I agree–what an amazing blessing this Sacrament really is…I find, too, that I am much more cognizant of what my ‘near occasions of sin’ are. It’s almost like going to the dentist regularly before you end up needing a root canal. 😃
 
Several years ago I went to confession for the first time in a long time so I was apprehensive. I was waiting wondering what the priest was like when a girl about 10 y.o. returned and told her sister “it’s the funny one”. That put me more me at ease; God knew what I need to hear. This one was funny but also very orthodox (which was new to me) and got me to a point of contrition for a sin I was very reluctant to give up. His pastoral approach helped make the first “good” confession I’d probably ever made up to that point. The changes in my life after that seem so obviously traceable to that confession. It was like the dam broke and grace just rushed in!
 
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