Post-Confession Mystery

[Jguerra]

Help me understand the following:

I go to confession weekly. Why is it that many times right after confession, absolution and dismissal, Padre will ask me to help him out with something? Am I missing something here? I committed sin(s) and yes I’ve been forgiven and I am a “new creation in Christ.” I feel unworthy to “help out” after letting go of my weekly burden of sin.

Once I went to confession after a 2 week stretch and the very next day, at Mass, I was asked to assist at the Liturgy of the Word. This last go round at another parish, Padre asked me to restock the sacristy.

Is it the sacrament of Holy Orders and the power to forgive sins that gives our priests the grace to “overlook” frail, weak humanity and see the good in each soul? Are these little assignments an encouragement to grow in grace and avoid sin? I always thought you would leave penitents alone for awhile (days, weeks) after confession before tapping them for service in one post or another.

Am I wrong? Your feedback appreciated.

Joe

 

[puzzleannie]

. Why is it that many times right after confession, absolution and dismissal, Padre will ask me to help him out with something? Am I missing something here? I committed sin(s) and yes I’ve been forgiven and I am a “new creation in Christ.” I feel unworthy to “help out” after letting go of my weekly burden of sin.

.

Joe

not one of us who serves the Church in any ministry, paid or volunteer, regular or casual, is worthy to do so. The apostles were not worthy to be called, but Christ called them and made them worthy. Not the priest who heard your confession, not the catechist teaching your child, not the nun running the senior citizen group, not the bishop, not the pope are worthy on their own merits, but only through the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit through whom they were called. If you have been called even for a casual job, by your priest no you are not worthy but will become worthy when you accept the task and ask for God’s grace to do your best to fulfill it, because if you ask Christ will make you worthy. He has just restored you to the same state of grace you enjoyed on your baptismal day, and that is worthiness enough for anyone.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

The seal of confession is amazing. Not only is a priest not allowed to divulge anything you confess; he is also not allowed to use any information obtained in the confessional to make decisions outside the confessional. So if you are a person he would normally tap for odd jobs, there is no reason to think he would avoid doing so because of something you confessed.

Besides, I have heard from many priests that one of the gifts they are given as priests is the ability to forget what they heard when they leave the confessional. (This isn’t true of every priest; some priests prefer to hear confessions behind the screen because they have a hard time forgetting after a face-to-face confession.)

Priests are sinners too. What you confess does not make them think you are a horrible person. They probably admire you for having the courage to confess your sins.

You’re not unworthy to help out. You went to confession. You are forgiven! Reconciled with God. Reconciled with the Church. Totally. Now just forgive yourself!

 

[Cluny]

Help me understand the following:

I go to confession weekly. Why is it that many times right after confession, absolution and dismissal, Padre will ask me to help him out with something? Am I missing something here? I committed sin(s) and yes I’ve been forgiven and I am a “new creation in Christ.” I feel unworthy to “help out” after letting go of my weekly burden of sin.

If you’re forgiven and absolved, you’re forgiven and absolved. This is the objective truth of things. How you “feel” about it doesn’t matter.

When the Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins,” that means it’s an article of faith–de fide–to believe that your sins are forgiven.

I always thought you would leave penitents alone for awhile (days, weeks) after confession before tapping them for service in one post or another.

Where did you get that idea, especially when you go to confession frequently?

 

[Joannm]

Where did you get that idea, especially when you go to confession frequently?

It reminds me of the time I confessed the worst thing I ever did and just before I left the confessional the priest offered me a job…a payed full time job.

 

[Jguerra]

Where did you get that idea, especially when you go to confession frequently?

It is just a feeling. Give the soul time to heal from the wounds of sin. I also think about the first penitents of the early Church. Long-term penances before readmission to the Church.

 

[Joannm]

It is just a feeling. Give the soul time to heal from the wounds of sin. I also think about the first penitents of the early Church. Long-term penances before readmission to the Church.

You can’t compare the early penitential practices to today. First of all, there were really only three sins that would require that…adultry, apostacy and murder. Not your everyday sins by any stretch of the imagination. Also, you only had one opportunity to return to communion with the Church. Sin again and you were out for good. This type of penace didn’t last too long. People just stopped availing themselves of it because it was too difficult. What wounds do you have to heal from? Jesus is the great healer. His forgiveness is all you need to be healed.

 

[jmcrae]

Are these little assignments an encouragement to grow in grace and avoid sin? I always thought you would leave penitents alone for awhile (days, weeks) after confession before tapping them for service in one post or another.

Am I wrong? Your feedback appreciated.

Joe

He probably just needs help with something, and you happen to be handy. There’s probably no “deep message” involved with it at all.

 

[GrahamAPhone]

It seems like you don’t understand Confession… I think what your saying is that when you have just confessed you have stirred up all the wrongs you’ve done and now they shroud you in shame, but its just the opposite, you are completely forgiven, you are in more a state after Confession to help then ever you are super close to God, like you’ve died to yourself and gone to heaven :heaven:
ha ha,
I just got really happy when i wrote that