Good. That is a good start. Just go there and tell the whole truth and ask God’s forgiveness and for the grace to change your life. I am praying for you.
This. And I would also suggest spending some time in Eucharist Adoration, or at least praying in front of the Tabernacle. Spend some time with Christ.Before you go, prepare yourself by praying for your soul, the soul of your child and also for the mother of your child, who must feel terrible, deep down. Our Lord has opened your eyes to the seriousness of the sin. He is waiting for you with open arms.
We will all be praying for you.
Priests, like psychotherapists, have generally “heard it all”, so don’t be afraid.
Congratulations for going.
That’s both the real effect of sin, and a grace. The continued sorrow/remorse makes us more aware, and more receptive to God’s ongoing mercy in our lives, which we need permanently. If we “feel nothing” (that is, if we lack a continued awareness of the gravity of whatever our sins are), then the quality or degree of our penitence is in question, or at the least, our understanding of the gravity of it. All serious sin should give us pause and have more than fleeting effects.
:clapping::dancing::extrahappy:
, that you offer it up for the souls of your baby and of his/her mother. Also, pray every day for the mother – she might not be ready to acknowledge the effects her decision has or will have on her for a long time, but she, too, needs healing and forgiveness, and reconciliation with our Lord. I pray for aborting mothers and all workers in the abortion industry each and every day.Read Our Lord’s Passion, the part where Peter betrays Jesus 3 times. Almost all of us have gone through similar experiences. That’s one reason why we all love Peter so much!
I understand that you want to make mature decisions at this stage of your life.
We are to defend the dignity and sanctity of each and every human being. You obviously need more reflection on this fact. One person is not more “valuable” or treasured than another if he/she is deemed to be more “perfect” or less imperfect. I hope you don’t think it would have been a guilt-free pass to abort your son or daughter if he or she possibly had some “defect.”
RRusso, your guilt and grief about your son or daughter not being allowed to be born is normal. In my opinion, you wouldn’t have a very healthy heart or mind if you didn’t have this response. But the healing process will not be an easy one. You’ve taken an important step, for the sake of your soul, by going to Confession. But you need to take care of your emotional needs – and doing so will also strengthen you. Praying, and participating in Mass are vital. I also recommend that you attend a **Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreat. **It is not only for women who grieve about their past abortions, it is for men of aborted babies, other relatives, and for workers in the abortion industry who need to heal from their self-contempt, regrets, etc.
Very glad you went. Now this is VERY important. You must continue to go to Mass, and come back fully to the Church. Don’t turn God into a giant vending machine in the sky, who you run to for goodies whenever you want, and ignore the rest of the time.
I have another recommendation. If you feel comfortable with the priest you confessed to, see if you can make an appointment to meet with him to talk about how you are having trouble letting go of this. This would not the be sacrament of Confession again. You should never confess this instance of this sin ever again. But it is completely okay to seek out the priest’s council in how to deal with what you are now going through. I hope you come back and let us know how you are doing.
Do you realise there’s no such thing as a prenatal test for autism?
You should definitely seek help from Rachel’s Vineyard. Here is a story of another man who did so, and it helped him a great deal: