In RCIA and feel bad about my past

[mkipp]

I am in RCIA and I am preparing for my first confession. I now look back at my life and feel terrible for my past mistakes. There is nothing too bad there. I just wish that I had found the faith earlier. I am worried about telling the Priest about my mistakes and also worried that I will leave something out. How can I get over feeling bad about this?

 

[Black_Dog]

I am in RCIA and I am preparing for my first confession. I now look back at my life and feel terrible for my past mistakes. There is nothing too bad there. I just wish that I had found the faith earlier. I am worried about telling the Priest about my mistakes and also worried that I will leave something out. How can I get over feeling bad about this?

I’m in exactly the same postion 'cept my life has been extremely dissolute. I am dreading that first confession. It is going to take a huge amount of humility on my part to admit to all I have done and seek forgiveness but I think that’s the whole point of it.

 

[Trishie]

Please don’t feel bad, either of you. Just honestly remember what you can. God knows you won’t deliberately leave anything important out, that you’re doing your best to make a good Confession.

Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire you to remember in Confession whatever God desires you to confess.

Please don’t worry about telling the priest your mistakes, he’s heard all kinds of Confessions. He will be just pleased that you have come to God with a desire to live the best you can with God’s grace.

Jesus, to my sadness, I fail in many ways and sin against others by my failures. Have I betrayed Your will or mistaken Your purpose? Will You restore me to grace now, Jesus? To do what? Will You show me? Will You fuse together the broken pieces—of my life, of my service—to make a new and better creation? Am I to step around the fragments and to pass another way?

I ask to walk with certainty along the path of holiness that You choose uniquely for me. If not, then please allow me the certainty of buoyant faith. I ask courage to continue through the enveloping fog, trusting each small moment to the illumination of faith and grace.

Jesus out of my failure and sorrow You will bring healing and goodness luminescent as priceless pearls grown around grains of suffering, for Your glory, and for others’ remedy and blessing.

 

[Trishie]

Jesus, to my sadness, I fail in many ways and sin against others by my failures. Have I betrayed Your will or mistaken Your purpose? Will You restore me to grace now, Jesus? To do what? Will You show me? Will You fuse together the broken pieces—of my life, of my service—to make a new and better creation? Am I to step around the fragments and to pass another way?

I ask to walk with certainty along the path of holiness that You choose uniquely for me. If not, then please allow me the certainty of buoyant faith. I ask courage to continue through the enveloping fog, trusting each small moment to the illumination of faith and grace.

Jesus out of my failure and sorrow You will bring healing and goodness luminescent as priceless pearls grown around grains of suffering, for Your glory, and for others’ remedy and blessing.

 

[adowcday]

I am in RCIA and I am preparing for my first confession. I now look back at my life and feel terrible for my past mistakes. There is nothing too bad there. I just wish that I had found the faith earlier. I am worried about telling the Priest about my mistakes and also worried that I will leave something out. How can I get over feeling bad about this?

It sounds like both of you are tanking confession seriously and have done a meaningful self-examen. You see your life clearly and regret falling short of what you could have been and done. That’s exactly what the sacrament of reconciliation is all about. I am a convert to the faith, and anticipating my first confession was difficult for me too. Once I began, though, it went well, and the priest was very understanding. They’ve heard just about everything before! You’ll be making a fresh start – something to look forward to.

 

[army_girl]

I remember my first confession (it was only 3 years ago), and I won’t lie to you, I was so nervous I was shaking like a leaf! Nervous that I would be rejected for my past sins, nervous that he would look at me differently the next day.
What I suggest to you is to tell the Priest that you are worried, he will help you through the process. That is what I did, it helped a little, I am so shy though that I got stage fright and forgot a whole bunch I wanted to confess. But that is the beauty of Confession, once you are made aware of those past sins that you feel you need to confess, you can! Just make a appointment with your Priest, I am sure he will be happy to do it.
And it is true what people say, you do feel better after.
Good luck and God be with you

Amanda

 

[jmcrae]

I am in RCIA and I am preparing for my first confession. I now look back at my life and feel terrible for my past mistakes. There is nothing too bad there. I just wish that I had found the faith earlier. I am worried about telling the Priest about my mistakes and also worried that I will leave something out. How can I get over feeling bad about this?

Don’t worry - it’s not a test. God already knows your sins and is ready and willing to forgive you. The point of Confession is that you are the Prodigal Son, asking forgiveness for all of your sins, and naming as many of them as you can remember to show that you are truly contrite - but nothing bad will happen if you can’t remember all of them, or if you say it wrong, or whatever. Just do your best, and God will make up for the rest.

Welcome home.