Have you ever had an awesome Confession experience?

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tessi said:
I don’t remember having any special good confession. As a matter of fact, confession is always difficult for me, I guess because I am too proud, but it’s not generally a nice experience.
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What do you mean ‘proud,’ if I may ask?
 
AHapka said:
To the subject of the original post now:)

I had committed a mortal sin, and prayed to Saint Pio to help me make a good confession. After confession, I went into the pews to pray and it became like there was a cloud around everything and it was only me and the Crucifix above the altar. I’m not saying like a real cloud, but that’s all I saw and visually registered.

This continued for about 10 minutes, and there was only a deep peace in my soul and I was awestruck and didn’t know what to say, but I could only soak in the experience.

I’m thinking that’s how St. Pio answered my request:)
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How awesome! Not to sound redundant. lol

I mean, wouldn’t that be considered a miracle of some sort? Or do miracles (saintly miracles) need witnesses. 😊 I’m dubbing you a saint – look at me. 😉
 
whatevergirl said:
I noticed something in your post…that you knelt during confession…that is the only way I have ever confessed? Are the parishes I have attended unique in that there are kneelers present in the confessional?
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During this particular time when I went for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there was not a place to kneel, but my heart was so filled with guilt and sadness that I chose to kneel on the floor during this confession. I sometimes feel like kneeling out of humility during the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
During this particular time when I went for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there was not a place to kneel, but my heart was so filled with guilt and sadness that I chose to kneel on the floor during this confession. I sometimes feel like kneeling out of humility during the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
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I agree w/you. It is very humbling, and I believe that is partially the point behind it. It is an emptying of self.

I wish my parish had kneelers in the pews.:mad: I started a thread on that a while back, I won’t get into it again, here. lol

To everyone–I love your stories…we should compile a book…like Chicken Soup for the Soul series…this could be called…'Confessions for the Soul.:heaven:
 
Carolinagirl411 said:
I’ve mentioned this on other threads before but I’ve never had a good experience with confession. Must be b/c I’m a converted protestant who still clings to the idea that I can ask for forgiveness without a priest. Still weird to me, but the priest always seemed impatient when I tried to discuss the stuff on my heart.

Anyway, I’m in a situation now that I’m not sure what to do. I stopped taking communion but I can’t go to confession either…What’s the point of going to confession when you know you are going to commit the same sin?

My fiance and I were planning to get married and also planning on moving to a different town together. We set up the apartment and paid the lease, etc, but now the wedding was postponed due to something out of our control. I can not financially back out of the apartment b/c at this point I can not afford to live on my own and I have a job in this new town. So we will be living together without marriage. It isn’t what we wanted. So how can I go to confession and be like, I’m living with my fiance, it is a mortal sin, but I can’t possibly move out. I feel really really bad about it but see no other choice. We have two bedrooms but I was told that didn’t matter since it would lead to an occasion for sin…

sigh
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Living with your fiance, but as brother and sister, should not prevent you from receiving Communion (after Confession) May I ask who told you that you couldn’t receive if you’re living in a near occasion to sin? But, I would still go to Confession, or make an appt with a priest to get the official stance. I admit, I’m not 100% certain about that, but I think if you’re not engaging in sinful behavior, albeit living under one roof, it should not prohibit you from receiving communion.

To everyone–is living with someone, without having sexual relations, a sin?
 
I was told by some people at my church, who sent me some articles to read, that cohabitating (sp?) was a mortal sin and I couldn’t take communion. I don’t think I have the articles anymore b/c they upset me.

The reasons behind postponing the wedding were a bunch of different things conspiring together. They are personal but in no way a mortal sin. We are hoping to have it all together in September…but that depends on the Catholic Church we want to get married in.

Hopefully it will all work out
 
This thread is straying a bit from the OP. Let’s respect the OP and stay on topic in this thread. Please take any side issues to new or existing threads. Thank you, all.
 
My one and only “awesome” Confession experience:
A few years ago, I went to Confession and it was like the Holy Spirit was just pouring out of the priest’s mouth. It was like he couldn’t get his mouth to move fast enough to get the words out. His words were practically rushing out nonstop as he was telling me about God’s love for me, and he told me God wants me to be His princess (which jumped out at me for being such an odd thing to hear, then I remembered my name means “princess”).

The next month, I went back to this same priest ready for another emotional, deeply personal experience. Nope. He was Fr. Ordinary. No emotion, just very basic what you’d expect from confession.

So that one time was a special gift. 🙂

I have enjoyed so much reading other’s stories, thank you OP for this topic.
 
Yes, thank you OP for this thread. It is wonderful. There really should be a Chicken Soup for the Penitent’s Soul 🙂

I don’t think I’ve ever had an awesome experience…but I’ve certainly heard about them.

My friend (at the time discerning God’s call) went to confession. Moments after he walked in, the priest said something a long the lines of “my boy, are you thinking about becoming a priest?” He said that, at that time, he was very intensively in discernment for the priesthood. Anyway, he shared this experience with others so apparently it was, for him, an awesome experience.
BTW, he plans on entering seminary within (about) the next year.

Confession is a great sacrament indeed. It is one of the most visible times that Christ takes our sins from our shoulders and puts them on His shoulders- on the Cross. We see, maybe for the first time, Christ on the Cross as a liberating image.
 
My awesome confession experience was when I had to confess this sin that was really humbling and embarrassing. I prayed to the Holy Spirit to be able to confess this sin. I went behind the screen, like I always do, because I am a nervous person and I can be myself better this way. I began to sob and sob as I confessed this prideful sin. The priest just listened, saying just a few comforting words and then letting me just cry,and cry some more. When I stopped he said that I had spoken from my heart. He was so patient and gentle. I felt so loved and cared about. He was Jesus! I still confess to this priest. He is also very orthodox and can be strict with me when I need it, like a loving father.
 
TheApologist said:
Yes, thank you OP for this thread. It is wonderful. **There really should be a Chicken Soup for the Penitent’s Soul 🙂 **
I don’t think I’ve ever had an awesome experience…but I’ve certainly heard about them.

My friend (at the time discerning God’s call) went to confession. Moments after he walked in, the priest said something a long the lines of “my boy, are you thinking about becoming a priest?” He said that, at that time, he was very intensively in discernment for the priesthood. Anyway, he shared this experience with others so apparently it was, for him, an awesome experience.
BTW, he plans on entering seminary within (about) the next year.

Confession is a great sacrament indeed. It is one of the most visible times that Christ takes our sins from our shoulders and puts them on His shoulders- on the Cross. We see, maybe for the first time, Christ on the Cross as a liberating image.
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I love that book title!!🙂
 
onmyknees said:
My awesome confession experience was when I had to confess this sin that was really humbling and embarrassing. I prayed to the Holy Spirit to be able to confess this sin. I went behind the screen, like I always do, because I am a nervous person and I can be myself better this way. I began to sob and sob as I confessed this prideful sin. The priest just listened, saying just a few comforting words and then letting me just cry,and cry some more. When I stopped he said that I had spoken from my heart. He was so patient and gentle. I felt so loved and cared about. He was Jesus! I still confess to this priest. He is also very orthodox and can be strict with me when I need it, like a loving father.
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That is beautiful. I too have cried at times in Confession. I remember a dear priest telling me about 5 years ago, “you are overwhelmed with sin, and let Jesus take it from you.” I cried even more after hearing that! :o But, that statement of his always stuck with me to this day. Sometimes, yes, we are overwhelmed with our sin and it can be difficult to put that heavy bag down that we have been carrying around for so long.
 
I love going to confession too. It is such a free and liberated feeling not having the weight and gilt of sin on me.🙂
 
tessi said:
I mean that I’m always ashamed to say the things I did wrong and find it difficult to find the words to express them.
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Oh, I see…yes, there have been times where I have felt the same, but shame before confession is probably not a bad thing, considering that it leads us to repentance. Shame continuing after confession is through, might be unhealthy, because it means that we’re hanging on to our guilt, even after God forgives us. I learned that along the way.
 
tessi said:
I mean that I’m always ashamed to say the things I did wrong and find it difficult to find the words to express them.
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For years I hated to go to confession because of the same feelings and at that time I was very much of an introvert. One time I was concerned with how to explain certain circumstances, I don’t remember now what was going on in my life but it seemed very complicated, I went to a large shrine in a nearby city where they have confessions all day. From the first words the priest said to me it was obvious that he didn’t speak English well so I had to keep everything very simple so he could understand me. It was like God was telling me that He already knew all the details and to have confidence in His forgiveness. It was just what I needed at that time.
 
tessi said:
I mean that I’m always ashamed to say the things I did wrong and find it difficult to find the words to express them.
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Hun :hug3: God already knows what you did wrong. He’s just waiting for you to own it. The priest won’t hear anything from you, I’m sure, that he’s not heard a gajillion times already - who knows, he’s probably committed some of the same sins himself!

I just wish you could see, as I’ve done more a few times around here, priests and religious popping into the confessional alongside everyone else, it gives you a real sense of how necessary it is for ALL of us, and makes it much less scary to realise the priest goes, probably, through the same feelings as you do.

Finally - don’t worry about the words, God knows what’s in your heart and it’s much more important to be sincerely sorry for what you’ve done than to find exactly the right words. The only problem would be if you’re deliberately looking to express them in a way that is deceptive or something.
 
My last Confession was pretty great. 😃

There was this sin dating back to the early 1980’s :eek: that NEEDED confessing, and I can’t believe that I never confessed it, but could not actually remember ever confessing it.

Unbelieveably, every time I went to Confession, I never would remember it. I knew it had been forgiven (I’ve received the Sacrament of Anointing), but it started to nag at me (when you’re sick, you have a lot of time to think) and FINALLY, the last time I went to Confession, at last I remembered to confess it.

Afterwards, my soul felt like it had snuggled into a recliner chair beside a fire in the fireplace, downed a mug of hot chocolate (with marshmallows), settled back with feet up, and said “aaahhhhhh!” 😃 😃 😃
 
GemmaRose said:
My last Confession was pretty great. 😃

There was this sin dating back to the early 1980’s :eek: that NEEDED confessing, and I can’t believe that I never confessed it, but could not actually remember ever confessing it.

Unbelieveably, every time I went to Confession, I never would remember it. I knew it had been forgiven (I’ve received the Sacrament of Anointing), but it started to nag at me (when you’re sick, you have a lot of time to think) and FINALLY, the last time I went to Confession, at last I remembered to confess it.

Afterwards, my soul felt like it had snuggled into a recliner chair beside a fire in the fireplace, downed a mug of hot chocolate (with marshmallows), settled back with feet up, and said "aaahhhhhh!" 😃 😃 😃

What a great analogy! 🙂
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Since I am new Catholic, I had to realize that the priest was there for guidance and counsel, I have only made two confessions so far, and I think for me it just gets easier and easier. Most Catholics really fear the confession and having to confess to a priest.
 
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