Not feeling guilt - what to confess?

[sandraladeda]

I am committed to regular (twice per month) confession. I am finding that, the more I work on my character, the more I go to confession, and the more graces that come my way through confession, adoration, and receivng the Eucharist, the less I am sinning. This is good news!

Sometimes, I feel like I have nothing to confess. I am sure I am not perfect but if there is nothing weighing on my heart, even if I go through an examination of conscience, do I go anyway? What do I say?

I feel like, if I don’t go to confession, and receive the graces that help me to stay on track, I will inevitably stumble. I don’t want to wait until I stumble. I know it’s just a matter of time!

Is it proper to go to my priest, and say that I cannot think of my sins, but I am sure they are there anyway, and just generally express sorrow for any way I have offended, and commit to a continued effort to do better?

I know many people here confess weekly or every 2 weeks. How do you handle this situation?

Also, I find that, with some priests, they look at me sort of funny when I come in with a very minor confession, like “that’s it?”, as though they are surprised that I would take the time to bother to confess something so minor…

 

[puzzleannie]

the classic spiritual direction for this condition would include the practice of the daily examen, the Ignatian model for instance. As part of Night Prayer with LOTH, or before bed as part of your own prayers, pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit, review the events of the day, recall the blessings and thank God for them, recall the sins, sorrows, acts and omissions, express contrition, make a resolution for tomorrow including firm purpose of amendment of habitual sins and failings, and pray the Our Father. This habit prevents us from falling into that condition of forgetting or not being moved by our sins and failings.

 

[InLight247]

Sometimes, I feel like I have nothing to confess. I am sure I am not perfect but if there is nothing weighing on my heart, even if I go through an examination of conscience, do I go anyway? What do I say?
…

I make my confession every time I have a spiritual direction session with my SD. Sometimes He would tell me the things I confessed were not sins. That is fine, I still get lots of grace from the Sacrament. And I take it as a devotional confession.

I don’t know what to do if I have nothing to confess at all. I will ask my spiritual director next time I see him.

 

[Joan_M]

Sometimes, I feel like I have nothing to confess. I am sure I am not perfect but if there is nothing weighing on my heart, even if I go through an examination of conscience, do I go anyway? What do I say?

It is useful to make an examination of conscience every day and, also, to take note of any sins. Remember, “the just man sins seven times a day” (7 times being multiple times, not 7 times only). When we examine ourselves when the day is still fresh in our mind we can see instances of lack of charity, impatience - perhaps thinking uncharitable thoughts about people we encountered, whether in person or as drivers who were rude. Perhaps we were thoughtless in our dealings with others, snappish in our responses… There are so many venial sins that we can clean forget if we wait until time for confession - mainly because they happen almost without thought. Sins of weakness, mainly.

Also, I find that, with some priests, they look at me sort of funny when I come in with a very minor confession, like “that’s it?”, as though they are surprised that I would take the time to bother to confess something so minor…

If a priest looks at you funny, like you said, then perhaps you should avoid going to confession to that priest. Venial sins are sins. Although we do not have to confess them in confession, it is a great help to us to do so, since since we receive the grace of the sacrament.

After all, our reason for living is to become a saint! We need lots of grace for that.

 

[xmydreamsfadex]

last time i went to reconcilliation i was telling the priest about a few things that were venial sins and he looked at me like “what EDIT are you doing in here?” at least that is what i thought anyway… i never went to that priest before but he still asked me to do an act of contrition and gave me penance… usually i come out feeling refreshed… that time i came out feeling nothing…
anyway, sometimes i don’t feel like i have anything to confess too. if i think hard enough i can always come up with something… especially now since it is hot out and there are girls wearing next to nothing! sometimes my insticts run ahead of my better judgment. maybe it is like that for you…

 

[baltobetsy]

If you confess frequently and you, after your daily examination of conscience, still don’t have any sins to confess since last time, you may say, “I am not aware of having committed any sins since my last confession, but I am sorry for all the sins of my past life, especially _________.” If you do not express your contrition for some real sin (current or previous), there is nothing for the absolution to work on, and you cannot receive the sacrament and its attendant grace.

Betsy

 

[sandraladeda]

the classic spiritual direction for this condition would include the practice of the daily examen, the Ignatian model for instance. As part of Night Prayer with LOTH, or before bed as part of your own prayers, pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit, review the events of the day, recall the blessings and thank God for them, recall the sins, sorrows, acts and omissions, express contrition, make a resolution for tomorrow including firm purpose of amendment of habitual sins and failings, and pray the Our Father. This habit prevents us from falling into that condition of forgetting or not being moved by our sins and failings.

I do this at night, but I guess I haven’t taken it far enough. I have done it more as a “what can I do better tomorrow” rather than a recall of my sins for future confession. I think I also need to write down the times I stumble, even in small ways, so I can be better prepared for my confession.

As I say, I know I am not perfect, and I crave that grace that comes from confession. I think my review of the day will need to be refined.

Thank you for your sensible response.

 

[Sheeniac]

Sins of omission are a treasure to confess! They are endless.

 

[palmas85]

I am committed to regular (twice per month) confession. I am finding that, the more I work on my character, the more I go to confession, and the more graces that come my way through confession, adoration, and receivng the Eucharist, the less I am sinning. This is good news!

Sometimes, I feel like I have nothing to confess. I am sure I am not perfect but if there is nothing weighing on my heart, even if I go through an examination of conscience, do I go anyway? What do I say?

I feel like, if I don’t go to confession, and receive the graces that help me to stay on track, I will inevitably stumble. I don’t want to wait until I stumble. I know it’s just a matter of time!

Is it proper to go to my priest, and say that I cannot think of my sins, but I am sure they are there anyway, and just generally express sorrow for any way I have offended, and commit to a continued effort to do better?

I know many people here confess weekly or every 2 weeks. How do you handle this situation?

Also, I find that, with some priests, they look at me sort of funny when I come in with a very minor confession, like “that’s it?”, as though they are surprised that I would take the time to bother to confess something so minor…

Feeling sorry for sins and wrongdoing is not an essential part of the sacrament. In fact feelings often get in the way of a true and sincere confession. Pope John Paul II of blessed memory is said to have confessed two or three times per week for up to twenty minutes per session. St. Bernadette said that she confessed to speaking harshly to her mother over a serving of onion soup that she found distasteful.

As you grow spiritually you should become aware of faults that normally others would not even consider. Getting angry over something trivial for example. Most people would not think to confess such a thing. Impure thoughts are another and another biggie here I would think would be ,

**** PRIDE****

Excessive pride in ones self often trips up the best of us. When we **feel **we have nothing to confess is when we should diligently search deeper as it is more than likely pride getting in the way of our seeing our faults.