Question about Confession

[Larowyn]

If someone hasn’t gone to Confession in years and finally goes, do they typically feel any different after they start going more frequently? I don’t mean like a sense of relief just minutes after receiving absolution.

 

[acadian]

Not sure if I understand the question, but I’ll give it a stab.

When I hadn’t been for several years, that confession was a awesome, memorable experience. It’s been 7 years since then, and I still consider it as a turning point in my life. I floated through life for days afterwards. The relief of leaving some “big” things behind, of being able to receive the Eucharist again, and just plain grace.

Now I go every 6 weeks or so. Confession is still awesome, but sometimes I don’t feel a whole lot different when I leave from when I went in. I also find that I am usually not as nervous going in, as I was when confession was a yearly event. So I guess it is a trade-off of sorts.

My experience. Your mileage may vary.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I think the biggest change is that you begin to develop a more sensitive conscience. Once you put the really big (mortal) sins behind you, you can begin to work on the smaller (venial) ones. You begin to realize that all sin offends God, not just mortal sin. You stop shrugging off venial sin as “no big deal.” You begin to deepen your love relationship with God through prayer, and this makes you want to avoid doing anything that would offend your Beloved. This is not to say that you become perfect, but that you desire to work in the direction of greater holiness.