Having your sins forgiven

[vames]

But for me, I think they’re interesting in that they’re very similar, in fact, identical, to the normal human experience of forgiveness.

Sarah x

They seem identical simply because we ask for forgiveness to a personal God, not to an impersonal force
But IMO the most interesting aspect of confessing to a priest vs. praying privately is that if you receive absolution from a priest, you can allow yourself to forgive yourself, which is not as simple as it seems. You happen to do something very bad and you feel sorry before your conscience, because of the damage done to others or to yourself, but you don’t always have the possibility to ask for forgiveness to those harmed or to repair the damage done, so you continue to feel guilty and alone. If you “confess” to a friend, a psychologist or a judge, they either try to console you or to condemn you according to a certain law, but their response eludes the nature of your guilt, which is as metaphysical as it can be - you’ve basically broken the cosmic order, pretentiously speaking.
So if you accept what Jesus said to his apostles - “if you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” and that the priests are the successors of the apostles, you can accept that starting from the moment of absolution, you can allow yourself to forgive yourself. It’s not that the priest executes a ritual and suddenly you are spotless and free to forgot your past; that ritual offers you what you need - a symbolic *moment *when you can begin to hope in God’s mercy that can offer you the strength (grace) to rebuild and better your life. And that’s why after confession people can receive the Eucharist, which is the visible “mark” of reconciling with God, i.e. the Maker of the cosmic order.

 

[atheistgirl]

you can accept that starting from the moment of absolution, you can allow yourself to forgive yourself. It’s not that the priest executes a ritual and suddenly you are spotless and free to forgot your past; **that ritual offers you what you need - a symbolic *moment ***when you can begin to hope in God’s mercy that can offer you the strength (grace) to rebuild and better your life. And that’s why after confession people can receive the Eucharist, which is the visible “mark” of reconciling with God, i.e. the Maker of the cosmic order.

That’s very interesting.

I perform a cleansing ritual.

I generally don’t have much to let go of, but anything I’ve not managed to rid myself of before, I sure am rid of it after I’ve cleansed myself.

Sarah x

 

[maltmom]

That’s very interesting.

I perform a cleansing ritual.

I generally don’t have much to let go of, but anything I’ve not managed to rid myself of before, I sure am rid of it after I’ve cleansed myself.

Sarah x

Would you be willing to share your cleansing ritual with us? If it is something private, I will certainly understand.

 

[vames]

I generally don’t have much to let go of, but anything I’ve not managed to rid myself of before, I sure am rid of it after I’ve cleansed myself.

Sarah x

Exactly - this is the purpose of any kind of ritual, to provide you a symbolic moment of breaking with the past, any kind of past (hence the “rites of passage”). Some Fathers of the Church used to speak about “rivers of tears” and years of penance before a grave sin could be forgiven; some of us experience such “rivers of tears” and intense repentance when we do something really bad, but this is a continuous process, without any discernable, “official” ending; so even if we can privately hope that maybe, finally, God has forgiven us, we still need an “official” moment between “before” and “after”. That’s why the ritual of confession and absolution is so relieving.

 

[BrunoMaria]

But atheist … may be able to go through the rest and experience confession herself and that might help her to work out if there is a God and the Catholic Teaching of God

To do so, would mean to willingly tempt God! A major sin; Mt 4,7: ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ An incredible idea “to tease God, to see if he lets me feel His existence”… One challenges God to make Him prove His existence to oneself. A real condemnable way to find out. Tempting by a test-penance. This will definitely not lead to forgiveness but to the contrary and opposite. To further sin.

In England, the Church of England being the State Church, does not refuse anyone though one does have to be confirmed to receive communion

Let’s remember, that the Church stands NOT for itself. The Church Jesus founded, is the Mystical Body of Christ. So to speak the substitute of Christ - his representation. So, it’s not the question whether or not to return to Church, but whether or not to return to God - to Jesus Christ.
To receive one of Jesus Sacraments just to test if God then touches me, is so defying, that God truly will not touch me then, but instead turn away. God offers belief as precondition to be with Him, because God fulfilled many “advance performances” out of His love we didn’t even deserve; such as revealing Himself in the Old Covenant, and even extremely more so in the New Covenant including His Salvation through His Passion.
And then I even demand more; – such as giving me prove by letting me feel His forgiveness when I undertake a “test-confession” without even believing in God?! How impertinent presumptuous can one get?!
Not even the godliest Saint had his belief presented on a silver-tablet, but had to struggle for it and fight all doubts Satan presents us as truth.

But to tear strips of me as such for selling the Catholic Faith when I am not Catholic myself… Well. I just hope you learn a bit of consideration for others when that they are trying to do their bit although not always in a right way.

This is not matter of which denomination one prefers, but matter of to believe or not to believe – in fact to be or not to be. And it’s neither a matter between you or any atheist and me. The feelings of the three of us don’t count in the question of the Living God the Father and His begotten Son Jesus Christ’s overwhelming deed of salvation. He who denies both God in the Most Holy Trinity and Jesus’ Passion is not even alive now, nor in eternity. Jesus said in Matthew 10,33: “…whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven”.
I wouldn’t risk this. If others do, …it’s their life and risk.
But this doesn’t have anything to do with as some presume: “Belief out of fear”. A ridiculous presumption.
True is: Belief out of the feeling never to be alone and Christ is with me as He promised those who believe in Him in Mt 28,20: “I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
A assurance and present tangibly felt only by him who believes with no precondition, and without asking further proves of God since God already made more concessions than we ever deserved.

Yours
Bruno

 

[poche]

There is sometimes a great feeling of relief.

 

[JRKH]

They seem identical simply because we ask for forgiveness to a personal God, not to an impersonal force
But IMO the most interesting aspect of confessing to a priest vs. praying privately is that if you receive absolution from a priest, you can allow yourself to forgive yourself, which is not as simple as it seems. You happen to do something very bad and you feel sorry before your conscience, because of the damage done to others or to yourself, but you don’t always have the possibility to ask for forgiveness to those harmed or to repair the damage done, so you continue to feel guilty and alone. If you “confess” to a friend, a psychologist or a judge, they either try to console you or to condemn you according to a certain law, but their response eludes the nature of your guilt, which is as metaphysical as it can be - you’ve basically broken the cosmic order, pretentiously speaking.
So if you accept what Jesus said to his apostles - “if you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” and that the priests are the successors of the apostles, you can accept that starting from the moment of absolution, you can allow yourself to forgive yourself.** It’s not that the priest executes a ritual and suddenly you are spotless and free to forgot your past; that ritual offers you what you need - a symbolic *moment ***when you can begin to hope in God’s mercy that can offer you the strength (grace) to rebuild and better your life. And that’s why after confession people can receive the Eucharist, which is the visible “mark” of reconciling with God, i.e. the Maker of the cosmic order.

Maybe I am missing your meaning here…but I must disagree with the bolded section as written.

Confession is not symbolic…though perhaps one might say that contains symbols…and it does “suddenly make you spotless”
There is a reason that the sacrament is properly called “Reconciliation” for it restores us to the condition we received at our baptism. It cleanses us of sin and so we are, once again, spotless before God.
Of course this does not mean that we forget. Our memories of past sins, along with their consequences, can then actually become a help to us by reminding us that we do not want to go there ever again.
The old saying that, “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” is equally true in the person journey to God.

Also - just to be clear - the Eucharist is indeed a “mark” of this reconciliation, but it is so much more than that. It is the actual body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

Like I say - maybe I misunderstood your meaning, but I just do not want the OP or others reading this to get the wrong idea. In each case, Reconciliation (Confession) and the Eucharist (Holy Communion) these are not simply symbolic things in the Catholic Faith but are real and substantive acts with real and substantive results.

Peace
James

 

[rcwitness]

Can anyone describe for me what that feels like?

Is there even a feeling attached to it?

Or is it more of a ‘‘knowing’’, in other words, it’s something that you are aware of on an intellectual level, that you know your sins have been forgiven you.

Or is it an emotional feeling?

Or both?

If, in the course of your prayers to God, you tell Him you are truly sorry for offending Him in sin, does that have a different feeling attached to personally confessing to a Priest and receiving absolution from the Priest?

I’m asking because I can’t really imagine what that experience must feel like so any help with trying to understand would be welcome.

I’ve read a lot around the Sacrament itself so I have an understanding of the foundation, rational and theology behind it, but it was more the actual experience of it I was trying to get an insight into.

Sarah x

Sorry i didnt read many replies.

I dont have time this morning, but like the question.

I think it is focusing on the wrong thing, to wonder what it “feels like”
But i understand a real curiosity. My father was turned off by the many people in his protestant church who talked of such emotional feelings, when doing the alter call thing (which is like going forward with others to repent and accept Jesus) then when he couldnt relate, he figured he wasnt getting something. And doubted.

In confession i have great peace. Because I believe it is real. I can leave mistakes and wrongdoing behind, knowing God does too!

I love being honest with God in prayer, so there is always this confession too.
It is a difficult and challenging thing to be honest with God. I know he knows me better than myself, but to express that openly with Him and not just leave everything up to Him to work out doesnt accomplish healing. If I am sick, i must go to the doctor. If he gives me a prescription, i must take it.

I do struggle with confession. Its hard to bring myself. But NEVER regret going.

It is the same thing with Mass many times. Hard to drag myself there, but after am so glad i went.

To answer directly…Peace is what I feel. And comfort my relationship with Him is healthy again.

Thanks for being here, friend
Michael

PS…Baptism, btw, forgives all sins prior. And for us adults who received (especially at Easter Vigil) even surpasses my wedding day. Although, it should not be compared like that. But i know in my heart, my wife is a blessing come from my baptism. This is my meaning.

 

[losh14]

This is an interesting question, and a challenging one because it is so personal. Thank you for asking it and keeping an open mind.

I will say that my walk with the Lord is much like my marriage to my wife in that it has its seasons. There are days when I’m so in love with my wife that I just want to call in sick to work and take her some place she loves, and there are some days when we’re just trying to survive together in the material sense of getting meals on the table, keeping the kids entertained, and do enough to be able to get some sleep. So don’t think that there’s constant joy when you believe in the Lord - it’s often difficult and there are often periods of doubt, even while remaining faithful.

So there are times I turn to the Lord - whether within Confession or in private prayer - and I’m humbled, and feel hurt because I realize the pain of my sins and regret very much my failings. There the best comfort is simple relief, but that’s impeded by the knowledge that I have much work to do.

Then there have been times when absolution has been so palpable that I have actually wept. When I was younger I did not live a devout life, to put it mildly. I remember going to the County health department for my quarterly HIV test (yes, quarterly) and I was marked down as “high-risk” because of the number of lovers I had taken. I took it as a warning, and began to look at my life, at the girl I was dating (who was everything I wanted and nothing that was good for me), and the drinking I was doing, and I pulled back, broke up with her, stopped going out to bars, and went to my priest. As he pronounced absolution, I felt this incredible weight lifted off my shoulders and I wept as an inexplicable sense of peace came over me. When I walked outside, it was a cold November day but I was struck by the smell of jasmine, or honeysuckle. It was there, and it was faint, but it was persistent. I took it as a sign of blessing, and an admonition.

 

[Paddy_Walker]

Maybe I am missing your meaning here…but I must disagree with the bolded section as written.

Confession is not symbolic…though perhaps one might say that contains symbols…and it does “suddenly make you spotless”
There is a reason that the sacrament is properly called “Reconciliation” for it restores us to the condition we received at our baptism. It cleanses us of sin and so we are, once again, spotless before God.
Of course this does not mean that we forget. Our memories of past sins, along with their consequences, can then actually become a help to us by reminding us that we do not want to go there ever again.
The old saying that, “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” is equally true in the person journey to God.

Also - just to be clear - the Eucharist is indeed a “mark” of this reconciliation, but it is so much more than that. It is the actual body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

Like I say - maybe I misunderstood your meaning, but I just do not want the OP or others reading this to get the wrong idea. In each case, Reconciliation (Confession) and the Eucharist (Holy Communion) these are not simply symbolic things in the Catholic Faith but are real and substantive acts with real and substantive results.

Peace
James

i want to agree here. i read somewhere once, cannot remember where though, that sins are not just forgiven, but they are obliterated. so it is as if they are wiped out never existed and do not remain even in His memory, perhaps. for some people they cannot let go even if they have been forgiven and understand that, its useful to know that obliterated now describes their sins. that is something that you cannot really do yourself by personal purification rituals simply because you know yourself that you don’t have that type of power.

atheist girl, i’ll give a description of someone else’s feelings about confession. a fairly famous stonemason a hundred years or so ago said that confession made him feel ‘so clean but that the feeling only lasted a week or so’.

 

[englishredrose]

To do so, would mean to willingly tempt God! A major sin; Mt 4,7: ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ An incredible idea “to tease God, to see if he lets me feel His existence”… One challenges God to make Him prove His existence to oneself. A real condemnable way to find out. Tempting by a test-penance. This will definitely not lead to forgiveness but to the contrary and opposite. To further sin.

Let’s remember, that the Church stands NOT for itself. The Church Jesus founded, is the Mystical Body of Christ. So to speak the substitute of Christ - his representation. So, it’s not the question whether or not to return to Church, but whether or not to return to God - to Jesus Christ.
To receive one of Jesus Sacraments just to test if God then touches me, is so defying, that God truly will not touch me then, but instead turn away. God offers belief as precondition to be with Him, because God fulfilled many “advance performances” out of His love we didn’t even deserve; such as revealing Himself in the Old Covenant, and even extremely more so in the New Covenant including His Salvation through His Passion.
And then I even demand more; – such as giving me prove by letting me feel His forgiveness when I undertake a “test-confession” without even believing in God?! How impertinent presumptuous can one get?!
Not even the godliest Saint had his belief presented on a silver-tablet, but had to struggle for it and fight all doubts Satan presents us as truth.

This is not matter of which denomination one prefers, but matter of to believe or not to believe – in fact to be or not to be. And it’s neither a matter between you or any atheist and me. The feelings of the three of us don’t count in the question of the Living God the Father and His begotten Son Jesus Christ’s overwhelming deed of salvation. He who denies both God in the Most Holy Trinity and Jesus’ Passion is not even alive now, nor in eternity. Jesus said in Matthew 10,33: “…whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven”.
I wouldn’t risk this. If others do, …it’s their life and risk.
But this doesn’t have anything to do with as some presume: “Belief out of fear”. A ridiculous presumption.
True is: Belief out of the feeling never to be alone and Christ is with me as He promised those who believe in Him in Mt 28,20: “I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
A assurance and present tangibly felt only by him who believes with no precondition, and without asking further proves of God since God already made more concessions than we ever deserved.

Yours
Bruno

I think you are rather missing my point and getting tangled up in what shouldn’t be being discussed here in someone else’s thread. If you have issue, take it up and invite me to join, but don’t hyjack someone else’s thread because you are making theological points about something else. You are new here and may be new to forums but it don’t help to hyjack a thread. I probably wont join in by the way not because of you, but I don’t discus church and Church very often because it not helpful to a forum such as this and my initial reply to Sarah was good enough in itself. If you wish to discuss further, then do so via another thread because it taking it away from Sarah now. But like I say, I most likely wouldn’t be joining you because for me discussing Church or church in this way is not helpful to anyone but others may join you in it. I am asking you kindly to start a new thread up even to reply to this because it is unfair on Sarah. In fact I am now askng the moderator for this thread to keep an eye out for your response to this and if you do then to have this and your reponses to me started in a new thread because it hyjacking Sarah, whom I have simply invited Sarah to make her own confession as a way to experience confession. Isn’t that good enough for you rather than attacking theology.

 

[rcwitness]

Can anyone describe for me what that feels like?

Sarah x

Luke 7:36-50

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were ya prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred adenarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to gkiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Sarah,
This story from Luke came to mind. It wasn’t that I think you have much sin, but that appreciation for forgiveness means more with the realization of more sin. Maybe it would be better if you weren’t so good God Bless.
Michael

.

 

[atheistgirl]

Would you be willing to share your cleansing ritual with us? If it is something private, I will certainly understand.

I’m happy to, but it will have to wait until Monday, when I’m back.

Just had time for a quick catchup here.

Very interesting reading the experiences of various people.

I appreciate how personal this is for everyone and how difficult the experience might be to put into words.

Thanks to all.

Sarah x

 

[vames]

Maybe I am missing your meaning here…but I must disagree with the bolded section as written.

Confession is not symbolic…though perhaps one might say that contains symbols…and it does “suddenly make you spotless”
There is a reason that the sacrament is properly called “Reconciliation” for it restores us to the condition we received at our baptism. It cleanses us of sin and so we are, once again, spotless before God.
Of course this does not mean that we forget. Our memories of past sins, along with their consequences, can then actually become a help to us by reminding us that we do not want to go there ever again.
The old saying that, “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it” is equally true in the person journey to God.

Also - just to be clear - the Eucharist is indeed a “mark” of this reconciliation, but it is so much more than that. It is the actual body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

Like I say - maybe I misunderstood your meaning, but I just do not want the OP or others reading this to get the wrong idea. In each case, Reconciliation (Confession) and the Eucharist (Holy Communion) these are not simply symbolic things in the Catholic Faith but are real and substantive acts with real and substantive results.

Peace
James

No, I didn’t want to say that the Reconciliation is something symbolic or that the Eucharist is only a mark of it. Both are sacraments and the OP already knows it; but she asked how we perceive forgiveness. I just wanted to emphasize that *at a psychological level *it provides us a symbolic moment to break with the past - a moment which we sorely need, again at a psychological level. Sometimes, this moment is postponed; for people who can’t have access right away to the sacrament of Reconciliation because of objective motives, the Catechism says that perfect contrition “obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible”. I have been in such situations and it’s not pleasant at all to have to postpone that moment. There is also the case of dying people who can be forgiven if they make an act of perfect contrition.

As for the “spotless” part, honestly I’m not sure. Aren’t we taught that Purgatory is for those “who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their already forgiven sins”?

 

[Pitcharan]

Can anyone describe for me what that feels like?

Is there even a feeling attached to it?

Or is it more of a ‘‘knowing’’, in other words, it’s something that you are aware of on an intellectual level, that you know your sins have been forgiven you.

Or is it an emotional feeling?

Or both?

If, in the course of your prayers to God, you tell Him you are truly sorry for offending Him in sin, does that have a different feeling attached to personally confessing to a Priest and receiving absolution from the Priest?

I’m asking because I can’t really imagine what that experience must feel like so any help with trying to understand would be welcome.

I’ve read a lot around the Sacrament itself so I have an understanding of the foundation, rational and theology behind it, but it was more the actual experience of it I was trying to get an insight into.

Sarah x

For me, the feeling was different on different occasions; there have been quite a few occasions when I felt led to the confession box by the HS and the outcome was ecstatic like a foretaste of heaven.

 

[JRKH]

No, I didn’t want to say that the Reconciliation is something symbolic or that the Eucharist is only a mark of it. Both are sacraments and the OP already knows it; but she asked how we perceive forgiveness. I just wanted to emphasize that *at a psychological level *it provides us a symbolic moment to break with the past - a moment which we sorely need, again at a psychological level. Sometimes, this moment is postponed; for people who can’t have access right away to the sacrament of Reconciliation because of objective motives, the Catechism says that perfect contrition “obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible”. I have been in such situations and it’s not pleasant at all to have to postpone that moment. There is also the case of dying people who can be forgiven if they make an act of perfect contrition.

Thanks for the clarification.

As for the “spotless” part, honestly I’m not sure. Aren’t we taught that Purgatory is for those “who have not completed (satisfied for) the punishment still due to their already forgiven sins”?

Good point - I’ve never been entirely clear on this myself. However I was taught that Purgatory had to do more with cleaning up matters arising from “imperfect contrition”.
For myself - and what I have read - Purgatory seems to be more related to the removal of more deeply seated “impurities”…i.e. character flaws of which most sin is but a manifestation.
But that is a topic for another thread I expect…

Peace
James

 

[Pitcharan]

…Good point - I’ve never been entirely clear on this myself. However I was taught that Purgatory had to do more with cleaning up matters arising from “imperfect contrition”. For myself - and what I have read - Purgatory seems to be more related to the removal of more deeply seated “impurities”…i.e. character flaws of which most sin is but a manifestation.
But that is a topic for another thread I expect…

Peace
James

Things will become more clear if we differentiate sin and vice and stop treating them as one. Sin is the effect of vice (cause). Sin can be forgiven but vice has to be necessarily purged for entering heaven. There is no condemnation (punishment) for sins for those who belong to our Lord. They won’t go to hell but need to be cleansed (purged) for entering heaven, which if incomplete in this life then completed in the next (purgatory).

 

[JRKH]

Things will become more clear if we differentiate sin and vice and stop treating them as one. Sin is the effect of vice (cause). Sin can be forgiven but vice has to be necessarily purged for entering heaven. There is no condemnation (punishment) for sins for those who belong to our Lord. They won’t go to hell but need to be cleansed (purged) for entering heaven, which if incomplete in this life then completed in the next (purgatory).

Thank you . I like this - especially the part I bolded. This is how I understand purgatory to work.

Peace
James

 

[atheistgirl]

Would you be willing to share your cleansing ritual with us? If it is something private, I will certainly understand.

I promised I’d come back to this.

At the start of each season, I go through a little ritual I’ve developed, which I find is an enormous help to me on a physical, mental and emotional level.

I’m not going to go into too much detail, for obvious reasons, that would be a bit like asking someone what did they confess to the priest but I’ll give you enough detail so you should get a good idea of how this works for me. It looks something like this:

I swim and then wash, all outdoors.

I collect a certain type of leaf, and place in a muslin bag I made for this purpose.

I go to a place I have where there is a truly magnificent view of the rising sun and light a small fire.

I then systematically work through a mental check list which starts with my husband and ends with strangers.

So, I’ll think about my husband - have I been the best wife I could be? Did I do everything I could to uphold the vows I made to him? Was I impatient with him? Did I put other things (children don’t count here) before him? Was his life more enriched because of me, or could I have done more?

You get the idea.

Then it’s on to the children - have I been the best mother I could be? Did I give them my whole heart and attention? Was I impatient with them when I could have been more understanding?

Again you get the idea.

Then it’s on to family, friends, work colleagues, the kids in the projects and schools I work with, the people I regularly interact with but don’t know so well, and finally strangers - with strangers it’s things like did I fail to smile when I could have, did I fail to acknowledge somebody or what they’d done like step out of the way, or open a door.

Again, I’m sure you get the idea.

For each individual question I ask, I hold a leaf in my hand and I think about people, scenes, times, play it out as it was, then play it out as I’d like it to be next time and ask myself what am I going to do to improve.

There’s also things I think about I just need to let go of. I’m good at just letting things go, but sometimes when I make the time to meditate, I find they’re still there.

As I’ve finished asking and answering each question, or just letting whatever it is, go, I drop that leaf on to the fire and move on to the next question, with a new leaf.

The leaf is just a physical aid, a way of making something that is intangible, concrete, and it’s burning is symbolic of resolving that question or letting something go. It’s a way of making physical something that’s mental or emotional. I’m not sure I explained that too good, but it’s the best I can do for now.

I time this little seasonal ritual so the last leaf burned coincides with the rising sun.

My husband is a short distance away, doing the same ritual.

As the sun breaks through, we come together, in body mind and ‘spirit’ renew our vows to each other, remind ourselves what the other means to us and how much we love each other and so begins a new season.

The fires are put out, and the ash collected.

Finally this is then scattered on the ground, so in a sense, the desire for improvement, the things that needed to be let go of, all the stuff that needed correction or improvement, symbolically imbued in the ask, goes back to the soil, from this ash comes new, fresh, growth.

I do work on improving myself every single day. Since the prayer experiment, I’ve been making time to meditate every day. But this ‘ritual’ takes up a lot more time, and is a lot more intense, and it’s a wonderful way to start each new season, feeling fresh, renewed and reinvigorated.

Gosh, I hope all that made some kind of sense to you

It’s not as crazy as it sounds but it can be darn cold sometimes

I should probably have left it until tomorrow to write up when I’m not so tired and it might have made a lot more sense

Sarah x

 

[maltmom]

Thank you so much for sharing that with me. It’s a beautiful ritual. It doesn’t sound crazy at all. It made perfect sense to me and I could even picture it. I can understand how it would bring you a sense of peace.