MERED: First Confession Questions/How to Confess?

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Hello All! I was just welcomed into the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil; I received Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. However, during my RCIA program the director never once talked about Confession or what goes on. I feel so unprepared. I think since we were being Baptized, he never thought to teach about the particulars? What should I expect? Thanks so much.
 
I was just welcomed into the church at the Easter Vigil as well. My priest gave me a pamphlet on the examination of conscious. Your church probably has something similar. I made my 1st confession on Good Friday. I did mine face to face. As nervous as I was, he made me feel very at ease. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Takes notes and bring them with you, that way you won’t forget anything.

Welcome!
 
There is a nifty questionnaire you can find at many churches that you can ask yourself to make sure you get most of your sins down.

However you were just baptized as from getting your first confession out of the way for tradition sake you are currently sinless.

well till you sin again.

Point is your currently forgiven already for all sins you ever had period. don’t worry to much about forgetting anything and just do your best.

I tell you that though to ease you mind about the urgency that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your best to confesses what you must.

Welcome to the fold! 😛
 
You will see hundreds of, “was this a valid confession?” threads here which might lead you to believe Confession is much more rigid than it really is. After examining your conscience, you go in and tell the priest your sins and God forgives you. Don’t worry if you don’t remember all your sins, but you must confess the ones you do remember. You cannot deliberately omit sins no matter how awkward they are to confess. You can look up the actual format and prayers pretty easily.

FYI, all the sins you committed up to your baptism are already forgiven through the sacrament of baptism. Not only that, but you won’t have to spend any time in Purgatory for those sins either. At baptism, you start out with a clean slate. How cool is that! 👍
 
Hello everyone,

I just want some guidance before I go to my first confession. What is the proper format for confession?

I might have missed the day in RCIA when they possibly discussed this.

Thanks, and God bless

Derek
 
Morning Derek,

I could direct you to many websites but I would say don’t worry about the details just go to confession and do what you can. If you make the effort to go thats the main thing.

Somethings looking into it to much makes it seem harder and more difficult than its meant to be.

Just say to the priest your not sure what your meant to do and he’ll guide you through thats what he’s there for.

Goog luck with it all.

Albany.

xx
 
Albany said:
Morning Derek,

I could direct you to many websites but I would say don’t worry about the details just go to confession and do what you can. If you make the effort to go thats the main thing.

Somethings looking into it to much makes it seem harder and more difficult than its meant to be.

Just say to the priest your not sure what your meant to do and he’ll guide you through thats what he’s there for.

Goog luck with it all.

Albany.

xx
Click to expand...
Excellent advice . 👍
 
YOU: Kneel + Sign of the Cross
“Bless me Father for I have sinned”
“It has been ________ days/else/yrs since my last confession”
“These are my sins”
Code: 
              Confession of sins.

             "For these and all my sins I ask for pardon of God, penance, and absolution"
FATHER: Gives you your penance

YOU: “Thank you Father”
Code: 
               Now say an Act of Contrition
FATHER: Gives absolution
Code: 
              "Go in peace"
YOU: “Thank you Father”
Leave Confessional + complete penance
 
Do an examination of conscience before hand, of which you can find many online. They are usually based on the 10 commandments, sins against Faith, Hope and Charity, sins against the precepts of the Church.

I found it helpful to look at a few to get a well rounded view.

You must Confess Mortal sins, and do so in number and kind as far as possible, there are limits to how accurate you can be if you have a long time period to cover. I had to say I had done something “a few times” or “many times” etc because I couldn’t remember. Just do your best.

Sacramental Confession of venial sins is recommended but not vital.
 
One aspect of Confession that is often forgotten is a purpose of amendment–you have to have the intention to change. You may fail in doing so, but at Confession you need to have the intention to do things differently.

And it helps to plan how you will do things differently. This is more often discussed under the subject of meditation, esp by St Francis de Sales in his book Introduction to the Devout life, or under the disccusion of one’s daily examination, but it holds true for Confession as well.

In fact, people who have the attitude that they can do as they please and have it wiped out in Confession so they can go and do it again… they are guilty of the sin of presumption. Some priests, if they become aware of this attitude will counsel the penitent rather than grant them absolution.
 
dje101 said:
Hello everyone,

I just want some guidance before I go to my first confession. What is the proper format for confession?

I might have missed the day in RCIA when they possibly discussed this.

Thanks, and God bless

Derek
Click to expand...
This seems very common. My RCIA class did not cover what to expect in confession either, how to do it, etc. This is infuriating – does any RCIA class cover this?!
 
graceandfaith said:
Hello All! I was just welcomed into the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil; I received Baptism, Holy Eucharist, and Confirmation. However, during my RCIA program the director never once talked about Confession or what goes on. I feel so unprepared. I think since we were being Baptized, he never thought to teach about the particulars? What should I expect? Thanks so much.
Click to expand...
Here is a PDF of the Rite of Penance (1974):

sfdeafcatholics.org/THE_RITE_OF_PENANCE.pdf

ourcatholicfaith.org/confessionhowto.html
 
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