How often to go to confession/reconciliation

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My priest at St. Robert Bellarmine Student Catholic Center focused his homily a few weeks ago on reconciliation. Fr. Dittmer told us that we should look at the soul as a house. Our house. Would we want to go months without cleaning our house? NO! That’s why he said he recommends that people confess their sins to the Lord through reconciliation AT LEAST once a month.

Last night, in a conversation with some male university students, Fr Dittmer said he would personally prefer to go to confession once every two weeks. When asked how often is too often, he said that once a week is borderline too much, DEPENDING on whether or not someone is fighting against major sin that many college students struggle with, such as being unchaste.

Fr. Dittmer’s opinion really helped me out, and I just thought that I’d share it with all of you. Please share whether you agree or disagree.

In Him,
Tim
 
neat anology.

I go once a week, so I guess I’m doin’ good! I think of all the saints and pope and everybody- if they can find things to confess, surely I can do a better job discerning where I sin as well.
 
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neat anology.

I go once a week, so I guess I’m doin’ good! I think of all the saints and pope and everybody- if they can find things to confess, surely I can do a better job discerning where I sin as well.
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I thought so too.

Isn’t it so incredible how you can feel His grace upon you when you have been absolved of your sins! I’m getting excited and I can’t wait to go back to confession, but I just went 8 hours ago 🙂

Tim
 
As Often As Possible. If it is every week you need to go then you should go every week.
 
I recommend at least once a month. If you have a mortal sin then I recommend Reconciliation as soon as possible.

A good practice would be to start the First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
dailycatholic.org/firstsat.htm
That way, along with all the other good you’ll be doing, you’ll get into a schedule where you’ll at least be making a monthly confession.
 
Two weeks to two months, averaging closer to the two weeks. It’s just good maintenance.

It’s great! In my huge parish, there’s only 4 or 5 of us sinners on any given week, but sometimes just one or two. We’re like a little sinners club. Since nobody else sins, there’s never any waiting in line, or a big rush through confession.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
 
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Two weeks to two months, averaging closer to the two weeks. It’s just good maintenance.

It’s great! In my huge parish, there’s only 4 or 5 of us sinners on any given week, but sometimes just one or two. We’re like a little sinners club. Since nobody else sins, there’s never any waiting in line, or a big rush through confession.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif
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This has got to be one of the saddest reports of the state of the Church these days. Four or five people, sometimes less, showing up routinely for confession.
 
I used to be one of those people. I thought of confession as something to be ashamed of (wouldn’t want anybody to see me going into the confessional!), and certainly embarrasing to do, so I never went. Then, because we had a new priest who kept giving homilies about what a beautiful gift confession was, I decided to go. I went to confession and did a big, lifetime confession. Doing that was very difficult, and embarrasing. But, now that I’ve done that, I no longer feel like it’s shameful or embarrasing. It just makes me happy.

It’s like jumping into cold water. It’s real uncomfortable the first time you go in, but once you’ve done it, the water’s fine.

I go about every 4-6 months.
 
I never go to Individual Confession. I only go to Communal Reconciliation Service twice a year at Easter and Christmas which is one more time then is required to go.
 
I am studying to be a Marian Catechist and we are encouraged to go often - I am going to confession about every 2 weeks and finding it to be very helpful in my daily life.
 
I try to go as often as possible. It becomes good spiritual direction for me, and I cannot get enough Grace.

That said, my priest told me Pope JP II went daily. Food for thought, eh?
 
That is a good university priest!

I say go no less than once every 3 weeks or so. Most people in this country could go every day if they wanted to (though going that often can be a problem if you are scrupulous, and it could simply be too draining for some people). I reccommend going every week- most importantly, you don’t only appologize to a friend if you do something that hurts them deeply- why would confession be any different. It also gives you the grace to do better, and it helps you focus before Mass, and be better disposed to receive the Eucharist.
 
I say go no less than once every 3 weeks or so. Most people in this country could go every day if they wanted to
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This suggestion has merit on its face, but just isn’t practical in the current era, if you do the math.

If the average Catholic spent just 2 minutes in the confessional each month, the average priest would have to spend 200 hours per month or 50 hours per week hearing confessions.
 
I say go when you feel you need to. I usually go bi-weekly just because I love the sacrament of reconciliation. The cleansing effect can be addicting. 😉
 
I like to go every other week.

Most of the time, at the large parish I go to, there are about 4 people waiting in two lines to see two priests. During Lent though, the line doubles or triples with three priests!!
 
I go at least once a month. Now on sunday I will be reading so I’ll go to confession on Friday night. Then I read the next week also so I’ll go again. Then again sometimes I go even if I 'm not reading… so it works out to about twice a month.

PS I like to get there about 20 minutes before it should start to pray and reflect in quietness and darkness of the Church. The only lights are for the alter, the tabernacle and the crucifix.And there are others waiting with me. Then at 7pm on Friday (the Priests actually start five minutes early) the lines begin by the time I’m finished with my penance the lines are on average 8 to 10 deep at two or three confessionals. We have a lot of sinners here in N. VA. 😉
 
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