I would like to go to confession today, but I'm scared of the priest. What should I do

[howareyou1]

Good afternoon.

I usually go to confession once a week. However, during the last month I haven’t gone to confession because I’m ashamed of confessing my sins. However, I’m getting tired of delaying my confession, so I was thinking of going to confession today. However, there’s only one parish that offers the sacrament of reconciliation today. Sometimes i attend weekday mass in that parish, however, i don’t like confessing my sins with that priest. You see… about 6 months ago, I as going to weekly confession with that priest… however, i was always confessing the same sin (masturbation) and it came a point that he got kind of mad at me because i was making any changes in my life… I suffer from social anxiety, so i felt very uncomfortable when he got kind of mad at me… i started sweating like rain! so i was wondering, is he going to recognize my voice?

thank you for your time
God bless you

 

[yellowbird]

I can empathize with you because I had a Priest get “mad” at me during confession once. At least that’s how I felt at the time. In retrospect, I think I was upset that he sort of called me on it - rather than just letting it slide by. I can honestly say that I’ve since thought about the counsel in times of temptation and I think it’s helped me to some degree not commit the same sin again. Not perfectly - but it’s helped.

So maybe the true is same for you? At any rate, put your feelings aside and GO because forgiveness is the best feeling ever - and Jesus is pleased when we seek reconciliation with Him. I don’t think the Priest will recognize your voice at all - but if he does, try to listen to him with the mindset that like our paternal Fathers who love us and sometimes have to use tough love to get through to us - the Priests are our spiritual Fathers and probably do the same for our own good.

God bless you!

 

[DannyBoy_7]

Hello,

Do not be afraid. I have been there many times in my life. Our Lord Jesus Christ is giving you such a blessing right now! Leave nothing out. Get rid of it all! God Bless You! Do not be afraid

In Prayer for you…

 

[Mumbles140]

Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant you the courage to attend, and offer up your fears to God.

 

[anixx]

Then you’re “lucky” you didn’t have a chance to go to confession to Padre Pio. He would sometimes yell so loud in the confessional to people that the confessional shook. Well maybe it’s an overstatement! But, it shows the zeal of a priest and his concern for your salvation. We must be shaken up, from time to time, to realize the seriousness of our sins. I don’t think that a priest that’s always in accordance with you is necessarily a good thing, on the contrary. Sin is a terrible thing. My advice to you is pick up the rosary and pray, especially in times of temptation. Ask our beloved Mother for the intercession of her Immaculate Heart.

 

[jaimeleglise]

Maybe tell him when you confess that it is an ongoing struggle for you and you want to make changes in your life.

 

[PJM]

=howareyou1;12076488]Good afternoon.

I usually go to confession once a week. However, during the last month I haven’t gone to confession because I’m ashamed of confessing my sins. However, I’m getting tired of delaying my confession, so I was thinking of going to confession today. However, there’s only one parish that offers the sacrament of reconciliation today. Sometimes i attend weekday mass in that parish, however, i don’t like confessing my sins with that priest. You see… about 6 months ago, I as going to weekly confession with that priest… however, i was always confessing the same sin (masturbation) and it came a point that he got kind of mad at me because i was making any changes in my life… I suffer from social anxiety, so i felt very uncomfortable when he got kind of mad at me… i started sweating like rain! so i was wondering, is he going to recognize my voice?

thank you for your time
God bless you

When Christ Invented sacramental Confession, one of the MOTIVATING factors was this exact fear-factor AS A DETERRENT TO SINNING… IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TIO BE EASY; IF IT WERE WOULD ANY OD US EVER CHANGE OUR WAYS?

PRAY MUCH, carry a rosary at ALL TIMES, especially in the shower and to bed at night. ASK the Holy Spirit it help you. Sins like this are habitual and MUST have God’s assistancr to overcome. And if your making NO effort, it is a JUST anger, is it not

So DON"T seek the easy, seek what is RIGHT! One Mortal sin can condemn one to hell if unconfessed and not sacramentally forgiven. READ: 1 John 5: 16-17 & John 20-19-23

PRAY MUCH!

God Bless you,
Patrick

 

[johnnyc176]

What should you do?

Go to confession.

 

[Thorns]

Then you’re “lucky” you didn’t have a chance to go to confession to Padre Pio. He would sometimes yell so loud in the confessional to people that the confessional shook. Well maybe it’s an overstatement! But, it shows the zeal of a priest and his concern for your salvation. We must be shaken up, from time to time, to realize the seriousness of our sins. I don’t think that a priest that’s always in accordance with you is necessarily a good thing, on the contrary. Sin is a terrible thing. My advice to you is pick up the rosary and pray, especially in times of temptation. Ask our beloved Mother for the intercession of her Immaculate Heart.

This is wrong of priests to do, since God never spurns a contrite soul!

I can see if people were trying to justify their sin in the confessional or argue with the priests advice or penance, but never to a sinner who humbly seeks firgiveness.

 

[polytropos]

Good afternoon.

I usually go to confession once a week. However, during the last month I haven’t gone to confession because I’m ashamed of confessing my sins. However, I’m getting tired of delaying my confession, so I was thinking of going to confession today. However, there’s only one parish that offers the sacrament of reconciliation today. Sometimes i attend weekday mass in that parish, however, i don’t like confessing my sins with that priest. You see… about 6 months ago, I as going to weekly confession with that priest… however, i was always confessing the same sin (masturbation) and it came a point that he got kind of mad at me because i was making any changes in my life… I suffer from social anxiety, so i felt very uncomfortable when he got kind of mad at me… i started sweating like rain! so i was wondering, is he going to recognize my voice?

thank you for your time
God bless you

If you haven’t seen him in 6 months, I doubt he will recognize your voice.

But I agree with the other posters. When you are feeling ashamed of your confessing your sins, and when that is keeping you away from the confessional, is precisely when you need to go to confession. I would even suggest telling the priest that. Tell him you have been struggling with habitual sin, had been making regular/weekly confessions, and have felt guilty recently about falling so frequently–and that has kept you away.

I have made a lot of confessions. Mileage will vary. But when you have one recurrent sin that you confess and then get out of there, priests tend not to give you as much advice. I started getting much better spiritual direction when I disclosed other aspects of my struggle and the patterns of my failure.

Anger is also not a terrible response. It is difficult to take. Often we don’t want to be reminded that we have been failing a lot… we want absolution, and we want to get out of there. But spiritual danger lies in that attitude. Some priests can get pretty lax about masturbation and will explain it away as “hormones” or “a phase” when people struggle with it long-term. It is good to have a priest who recognizes it as the spiritual threat it is–even though that may be uncomfortable.

 

[Joy2day]

Hi, look I think in your distress you will discover the beauty of confession - and reconciliation! I do not believe there is a perfect confessee - ie. someone who goes to confession, confesses their sins, goes away and does not repeat those sins again - ever. Simply doesn’t happen. Everyone has some bad habits/sins that they struggle with and are most probably beating themselves up over and therefore end up in a situation of confessing the same old thing again and again. It might seem pathetic at the time. Just try to remember you are confessing to Jesus (not the priest) and you will realise that no matter how pathetic you think you or your sins are, you will be forgiven by God (not the priest) - and that is very reassuring. God loves you even though you fail, because you are trying and a genuine confession is all that is needed to reunite with God - time and again. You will receive the grace each and every time to defeat the sins you struggle with.

The priest has lots of time.

Sometimes you will get a great priest who delivers words that seem to be straight from the heart of Jesus - and then you will know the love of God who said “how many times should we forgive? 70 times 7” - or as often as forgiveness is sought. I believe this is very good psychologically.

St Mary MacKillop: “no one is perfect in this life”. (except of course Our Lord and Our Lady).

People are different and the style of confessor that works for one person, may not work at all for another.

 

[PJM]

=Thorns;12077411]This is wrong of priests to do, since God never spurns a contrite soul!

I can see if people were trying to justify their sin in the confessional or argue with the priests advice or penance, but never to a sinner who humbly seeks firgiveness.

FRIEND<

I faer you’re being judgmental.

This Priest has an OBLIGATION to BE “Judgmental” when their is little or no evidence of TRUE repentance which requires at least an EFFORT to reform, from a Mortal sin and using Sacramental Confession as a crutch. Priest are TASKED with not only forgiving WHICH HE DID; BUT also aiding in the reformation process. You don’t know the entire HISTORY of the penitent OR the Confessor, so your post IS Judgmental and HARMFUL to the Church.

God Bless you,
Patrick

 

[yellowbird]

FRIEND<

I faer you’re being judgmental.

This Priest has an OBLIGATION to BE “Judgmental” when their is little or no evidence of TRUE repentance which requires at least an EFFORT to reform, from a Mortal sin and using Sacramental Confession as a crutch. Priest are TASKED with not only forgiving WHICH HE DID; BUT also aiding in the reformation process. You don’t know the entire HISTORY of the penitent OR the Confessor, so your post IS Judgmental and HARMFUL to the Church.

God Bless you,
Patrick

Wow - over the top much? I disagree that his post was judgmental or harmful to the church. I think the church is fine.

The Priest cannot possibly read some someone’s heart and know if there is TRUE repentance. What sort of evidence of effort could the penitent provide? Witness testimony? Please. It’s not a trial…

 

[yellowbird]

Just try to remember you are confessing to Jesus (not the priest) and you will realise that no matter how pathetic you think you or your sins are, you will be forgiven by God (not the priest) - and that is very reassuring. God loves you even though you fail, because you are trying and a genuine confession is all that is needed to reunite with God - time and again. You will receive the grace each and every time to defeat the sins you struggle with.

This is beautiful.

 

[anixx]

This is wrong of priests to do, since God never spurns a contrite soul!

I can see if people were trying to justify their sin in the confessional or argue with the priests advice or penance, but never to a sinner who humbly seeks firgiveness.

Well Padre Pio had the charisma of seeing in one’s soul. And you are right, if there is humbleness. But there are those who are very smug about confession, who take it lightly, the ones who say: Sin isn’t that big of a deal. But also one who doesn’t take too serious about the gravity of his sins. Though he is sincere in his confession, somehow he doesn’t realize the impact of one’s sins. If one dies in a state of mortal sin he goes directly to Hell. I don’t know about you, but I would like to be told by the confessor, no matter the cost here on earth. And he should be serious about my salvation. That’s why he’s there, not to sweeten up things and to speak to me like I’m mentally retarded. He must speak with clarity and seriousness. And if yelling is in order, then let him yell. Maybe then I’ll realize that some things are not to be played with. A father does this with his children sometimes. Better to yell to him, then having him play with electricity. My opinion. God bless!

 

[PJM]

=yellowbird;12079215]Wow - over the top much? I disagree that his post was judgmental or harmful to the church. I think the church is fine.

The Priest cannot possibly read some someone’s heart and know if there is TRUE repentance. What sort of evidence of effort could the penitent provide? Witness testimony? Please. It’s not a trial…

So let me see if I understand your point

READ John 20:19-23 and please note verse 21, where God passes his very own Power AND authority to his priest.

So You think God doesn’t help the priest in the confrssional

I think He Does:thumbsup:

God Bless you,
Patrick

 

[Tyler_Larew]

I actually was just recently in a similar situation to yours, which lead me to go to a different parish last week instead of my parish. The priest was very nice, and we even laughed some. However I see this is not the case for you, and I know how you feel with going to confession every week confessing the same sin. However keep this in mind, keep in mind that it takes a lot of courage to walk into that confessional, and that that priest should be grateful that there are people like you who feel the need to confess. Weekly confessions you said? Amen man that is awesome, I am like the only person I know who does weekly confession, and it is a good habit. So I say to you to not stop going. Do face to face if you have to. Maybe if he sees that you really are nervous he will go easy on you. Tell him that you were nervous to come, tell him that you can’t help it and would really appreciate some spiritual advise. Once a priest said this to me, these are not his exact words but. “You actually got it a lot better than most people, because though you may be sinning, at least you recognize when you are wrong.” We are all sinners, just know that God is holding your hand all the way!
God bless and good luck.

 

[Benedict_MAC]

I’m sorry that you had a bad experience with confession. I know its not a good excuse, but sometimes it does us some good to remember that priests are human. It’s good that he has concern for the salvation of your soul, but it is difficult for us to hear that our trusted confessor is disappointed in us. It sounds to me like you need to find a confessor that can help you work on your self-improvement. Seek forgiveness. Good-luck and God Bless!