Question about repentant sinners

[April29]

So I was reading th Diary of St. Faustina( which I love with my soul) and I came upon this paragraph where Our Lord tells her that when a sinner is unrepentant He cannot love them, but that as soon as they repent He runs to their aid. So my question is, the other day I was speaking to one of my best friends. She never talks to me about faith matters because she has always lived a pretty wild life. She out of nowhere started asking me things and we talked for a while. At some point she said that she was sorry for her sins, but that she was too afraid to go to confession. I tried to help her through, but she told me at work that she hadn’t gone yet. That she trusted God’s mercy, but that she didn’t think the priest would be merciful to her. After a while of talking, she said that she does want to go when she’s got the courage to. However, I’ve seen her for lunch and on Snapchat and stuff, and she is posting Bible quotes and not going out, which makes me feel extremely proud of her because for all the years I’ve know her, her Snaps are usually kind of crazy. My question is, in a situation like this, how does God regard one? Also, the saints? I once saw a quote where St. Therese said she knew the saints smiled at her. Do the saints smile at people who are afraid of going to confession but are truly sorry? My heart kind of hurt thinking that they might not, but I know they are good, and I want to believe that the Lord and the saints would be proud of her too right?

 

[RandomAlias]

… she didn’t think the priest would be merciful to her…

Of course the priest will be merciful. Priest really love it when someone comes back after a long time.

My question is, in a situation like this, how does God regard one?

With great love, like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, and like the Good Shepherd who rejoices when he finds the wandering sheep and brings it back home.

 

[April29]

I thought so Thank you! I will make sure I show her this if she asks again!

 

[Mtdobbs]

If a person is truly sorry for their sins, I have no doubt that God smiles at them. Having the courage to face Jesus in the confessional can take some people months or years. Going to confession can be an outward visible sign of ones repentance and they are given abundant graces for doing so but a person still receives grace by inwardly repenting in their heart. I know a lot about fear as it is a constant companion of mine and I know with certainty that peoples lives are incredibly motivated by it. Fears opposite is love and sometimes a person hasn’t been filled with enough love to overcome the fears they experience. I would continue to pray for your friend. Try to remind her that confession is between her and Jesus and the priest is just like the “telephone” to Him. Priests have heard everything and are not scandalized by anything we can tell them. The Saints smile on us if we are trying to be faithful and from the sounds of it, your friend seems to be trying to be faithful.

 

[Reuben_J]

Sure. The Lord and the saints love it when someone is repentant of her sins.

In this case, she has a misconception of the priest’s role during Confession. The priest is in the person of Christ to absolve sins. It is not a matter whether he is merciful or not. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is about the forgiveness of sins and therefore God or in this case, the priest, is always merciful.

This misunderstanding would be a mitigation for her but you can try to tell her that a priest would always be happy when we come for Confession and repent of our sins.

God bless.

 

[Vico]

So I was reading th Diary of St. Faustina( which I love with my soul) and I came upon this paragraph where Our Lord tells her that when a sinner is unrepentant He cannot love them, but that as soon as they repent He runs to their aid. So my question is, the other day I was speaking to one of my best friends. She never talks to me about faith matters because she has always lived a pretty wild life. She out of nowhere started asking me things and we talked for a while. At some point she said that she was sorry for her sins, but that she was too afraid to go to confession. I tried to help her through, but she told me at work that she hadn’t gone yet. That she trusted God’s mercy, but that she didn’t think the priest would be merciful to her. After a while of talking, she said that she does want to go when she’s got the courage to. However, I’ve seen her for lunch and on Snapchat and stuff, and she is posting Bible quotes and not going out, which makes me feel extremely proud of her because for all the years I’ve know her, her Snaps are usually kind of crazy. My question is, in a situation like this, how does God regard one? Also, the saints? I once saw a quote where St. Therese said she knew the saints smiled at her. Do the saints smile at people who are afraid of going to confession but are truly sorry? My heart kind of hurt thinking that they might not, but I know they are good, and I want to believe that the Lord and the saints would be proud of her too right?

So now she is learning about her faith and is attending Church on all Sundays and other Holy Days of Obligation?

 

[April29]

I know for sure she’s learning, and I’ve seen her at mass the last few weeks.

 

[April29]

I will try!! Thank you!

 

[Vico]

I know for sure she’s learning, and I’ve seen her at mass the last few weeks.

The Holy Trinity gives actual graces even before the reception of the sacraments that there be conversion and repentence.