How do you feel after Confession?

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7_Sorrows

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I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
 
I don’t know - I think I feel pretty good getting it all off my chest and then knowing I’m in communion with Christ and His church again after confession and can receive Him again. Even still how one feels right after confession isn’t that relevant; it’s the reward we hope will come because of it that we’re after.
 
I feel a great warm sensation around my heart after confession. Write down what you want to say it helps. Initially I used to forget things but writing helps…

This site has a very comprehensive list of all the sins and actually has a rating scale its good if you want to browse thru each commandment,etc ( the list is pretty comprehensive)
 
7_Sorrows said:
I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
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I am a cradle Catholic. In my youth I used to go to confession about every three weeks. Never felt anything much after going to confession. Then I drifted into wrong practices, without leaving the Church, but without going to confession much. Years later, when I unburdened myself in Confession, I felt like I was floating, I felt so light after that heavy load had gone!

Now, years later, and many regular confessions, I do not feel that “floaty” feeling - why? Because, thank God, I am keeping away from mortal sin, praying regularly. I am, very much, grateful for God’s mercy in every confession.

Feelings don’t mean much. They can be nice. They can be neutral. They can be uncomfortable. They are not very important. What is important is the act of will to repent. The act of will to make a good confession. The act of will to make the resolution to avoid sin - even if we know we are weak and may well fall. That is what is important. What is most important is to make the resolution to go to confession regularly and tell everything. Hold nothing back. This is the path to Heaven. Don’t worry about any feeling about confession, good or bad.
 
7_Sorrows said:
I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
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I feel clean after celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is truly a sacrament of healing, and it feels good to be back in God’s good graces. It is a wonderful gift that Jesus gave us.

DGB
 
I was always felt a little embarrassed, but now I try to go once a month. Its really helped me look at just “how” I let sin in my life.
 
7_Sorrows said:
I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
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I would feel relief - that I have it out of my chest; that I am not burdened by the thought that I have to confess the sin anyhow and that I know I am in a state of grace and would not worry should I am struck by lightning or killed in a plane crash. Just kidding for the latter two. 😉

Why are you feeling ackward? Sin is great burden for us. In Confession it is wiped clean. I remember how at one time I was thinking of a sin that I needed to confess. I proscratinated and when eventually I went for Confession, it was during pre-Christmas Penitential service, I expected an earful from the priest due to the nature of the sin I committed. Just imagine my relief and my joy, when the elderly priest happily said, “be joyful, the Lord is born for you”.

I am just illustrating a point from that experience but really minimally at least with the absolution you know that your sins are forgiven and now no longer separated from God.

God bless.
 
7_Sorrows said:
I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
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Don’t focus on your feeling so much. They can be very distracting from what is really important and what is happening. Think of Confession as the means through which you have had healing contact with God and trust that you have been forgiven. Your Priest is there as Jesus, not as just another man. He has heard everything possible.

Even if there is a sin that keeps coming up in your life, it is going to Confession that you will become more aware of why that sin is repeated and of ways that you can change your behavior or attitude etc. This is an important aspect of your relationship with God. I think feeling a little awkward or even embarrassed is normal and to be expected.

A little bit of discomfort, embarrassment or awkwardness in this life is far better than an eternity away from God. As you grow in your Faith you will come to realize that this Sacrament is very healing and to your surprise you may very well have a moment when the full impact of a past confession “hits you straight on.” forums.catholic-questions.org/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif
 
I always feel amazingly cleansed and renewed after a good confession. It is good to make a very thorough one. Once you get everything out, God - through the priest - forgives you and reconciles you to His mystical Body, the Church. You are brought back into the fold of innocent lambs shepherded by the Lamb of God. There is no greater joy.

Knowing Christ is the key to knowing the cleansing of Confession!
 
7_Sorrows said:
I am a Catholic of only 5 years and I hear people say how good the Sacrament of Confession is, but I have to admit, I don’t feel better after confessing. it is awkward and unpleasant for me. after it is over, I am waiting for the moment that I will see that it helps, but I don’t. do I just need to give it more time? I am someone that it is easier for me to put into words what I mean to say rather than voicing it out loud so that is one reason it feels so awkward. the priest said I had given a good confession, but it didn’t feel good to me.
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I think this depends a lot on how one approaches the sacrament. I approach it with a list of sins, 10 commandments…how many times.

First commandment…number of times…
Second commandment…number of times…

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments/penance/examinations-of-conscience.cfm

I use a format something like this.

With vices…each vice…number of times…,estimated.

I will often focus on one sin, outside of that, and ask about that.

The priest will often counselor me, much like a counselor, except with a Catholic perspective, without charge!

Sometimes, I’ve found confession to feel like a weight was lifted from my shoulders, a sense of relief and release, having had the opportunity to vent, get this off my chest.

Well, sometimes I think we like to talk about what’s on our minds, what’s bothering us. Whether the other person can even help us, it can help to know someone is listening, cares, and is understanding.

At the end…I hear…“I absolve you of your sins…In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, Amen”

If you BELIEVE this, it’s quite liberating.

Now, do I feel relief after every confession? Probably not. Our feelings change from moment to moment, and a lot of people in modern times get too hung up on these fleeting feelings and give them much too much attention.

Like, some people think if they don’t have a spiritual experience every time they receive the Eucharist or are at confession, that they’re doing something wrong!

You may not actually feel ANYTHING! Still, whether you feel relief, peace, or not, you’re forgiven!

A lot of people give too much credence to feelings, anyway, and confuse that. I used to think I was “in love”, was convinced of it, in fact. Now, I think what I used to call “love”, wasn’t even love! Well, look at how people think they’re “in love”, and in a year have fallen “out of love”. So, was it love to begin with?

The same applies here. I’d recommend not putting so much emphasis on feelings, because they can be so misleading.
 
“Filled with the Holy Spirit,” I suppose.

You free yourself from the weight of that sin and you almost feel like your floating! 😃
 
For the most part I tend to feel relieved, liberated and lightened. Today, I don’t but that is because of the nature of that particular Sacrament of Reconciliation, I received absolution and a significant amount of very loving but extremely tough spiritual direction.
 
Pax Christi!

Generally: good, clean, happy and hungry for the Eucharist!

But sometimes: not much of anything. Sometimes my confessor is terrific, sometimes (like lately) just so-so. Another factor is my state before confessing. If I’m more troubled before, I’m more relieved after. If it’s a First Saturday confession ( “monthly checkup”) it’s still nice but less joyful. I wonder what it wojld be like to confess every week, as do those in religious life.

“Listening to nuns’ confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.” - Bishop Fulton Sheen

God bless.
 
I remember wen I went to my first confession after being away from the Church for about 35 years. Very, very nervous going in. It was very emotional - tears and everything - and after absolution, I thanked Father and stepped out of the confessional. I went and sat in front of the tabernacle, and just thought about what had happened. I didn’t feel “lighter,” I didn’t feel, necessarily, “forgiven.” I felt the shame of having spoken my sins out loud, I felt exhausted from the emotion of it all, and I felt relieved that it was done. After I left the church to go home that day, it slowly crept up on me. I felt… good! It was very gradual, but it came. And I did feel forgiven, and lighter.
Maybe you should consider paying attention to how you feel for a while after you leave the confessional. I could feel the gradual change over the rest of that day and into the next. Maybe you’re just not giving it the time to register for you.
God bless you and keep you close always.
 
I feel embarrassed while I confess because I’m sure the priest knows it’s me. Afterwards I feel very clean until I start to sin again which is to often very soon.
 
It varies for me. I was only Baptized 8 months ago and after my first confession I felt absolutely great! I have not felt that strong a feeling of euphoria after confession since that first time. But that is ok. Sometimes I don’t really feel any better and can even be worried that my confession was not good enough. But that feeling passes and I always feel better for having confessed and knowing that I could now move on. I mostly try to just have faith that my sins are truly forgiven after confession and to move on. But sometimes I do feel relieved after confessing. Though I know it should not really matter, sometimes it depends on the priest and the advice he gives me or if I feel he really understood what I was telling him completely. But of course, it would be up to him to ask questions if he did not understand me fully. I suspect more often, they understand better than I think they do. There was at least one time that I confessed something and I made Father laugh. Then I laughed and I left confession still kind of laughing and glad I got it all off my chest (It was something petty that I confessed but it was bothering me so I decided to confessed it anyway) So… yeah I probably think a little to much about those type of things right after a confession. But it always passes and I am glad I went.
 
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