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John_the_Blind
Guest
Thank you all for your advice and support; I shall keep it all in mind as I move forward.
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M
mythbuster1
Guest
As noted, all you need to do is go to Confession. While you could go at a regularly scheduled Confession time, I highly recommend making an appointment because your Confession is bound to be long if you have 20 years or more of sins to confess. I estimate your Confession will take 30 minutes to an hour based on my own experience making a General Confession. Making a list is encouraged but not required. It is normally encouraged to confess your most serious sins first, but in your case, it is probably better to list your sins in chronological or reverse chronological order, or go through the Ten Commandments in order and list your transgressions of each Commandment. If you need help, the priest will help you through your Confession.
After your Confession, I encourage you to attempt to make a plenary indulgence: which consists of receiving Communion, praying for the intentions of the Pope, removing all attachment from sin, and completing an indulgenced work (Confession is also required, but your General Confession satisfies this requirement). In addition to indulgences available on specific days, there are several plenary indulgences available year-round: half an hour of Eucharistic Adoration, half an hour reading/listening to the Scriptures, praying the Rosary in a group either in church or in a family setting, a pilgrimage to a Patriarchal Basilica in Rome, or a retreat lasting at least three days.
After your Confession, I encourage you to attempt to make a plenary indulgence: which consists of receiving Communion, praying for the intentions of the Pope, removing all attachment from sin, and completing an indulgenced work (Confession is also required, but your General Confession satisfies this requirement). In addition to indulgences available on specific days, there are several plenary indulgences available year-round: half an hour of Eucharistic Adoration, half an hour reading/listening to the Scriptures, praying the Rosary in a group either in church or in a family setting, a pilgrimage to a Patriarchal Basilica in Rome, or a retreat lasting at least three days.
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Hodos
Guest
When you think about what happens in Baptism, that it is God who claims you and gives you faith and the Holy Spirit, it doesn’t make sense to re-Baptize the believer who has fallen away and has been returned to the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. I think it is much more significant to go to private confession and receive absolution, the gospel message that you are forgiven of your sins, and then publicly partake of the Eucharist in communion with the community of the Church.
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GiftofMercy
Guest
Go to confession as soon as you can. You can come to Mass beforehand. Just do not partake of the Eucharist.
Amen , praise God that you are returning home.
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OraLabora
Guest
Confess. Go to Mass. Welcome home!
The rest of what you’ll need (prayer life, spiritual inspiration, whatever), will work itself out in good time. Of course if you have other issues, such as an irregular marriage, you’ll need to work that out and should take an appointment with the priest. But if not, confession and respecting your Mass obligation are all you’ll need to be back in the fold.
I too am a revert after 22 years absence (cradle Catholic). This fall I will be able to say that I’ve been back for longer than I was out (22 years).
The rest of what you’ll need (prayer life, spiritual inspiration, whatever), will work itself out in good time. Of course if you have other issues, such as an irregular marriage, you’ll need to work that out and should take an appointment with the priest. But if not, confession and respecting your Mass obligation are all you’ll need to be back in the fold.
I too am a revert after 22 years absence (cradle Catholic). This fall I will be able to say that I’ve been back for longer than I was out (22 years).
P
Phemie
Guest
When I was doing a course on liturgy we were studying RCIA. One participant mentioned that she had been baptized Catholic, had converted to something else, and had been very put out to have to go through RCIA when she returned to the Church.John_the_Blind:
I don’t want names but who would say such a thing?
Dan
The person teaching the course was from the North American Forum on the Catechumenate and she made a distinction at that time between someone who simply becomes a lapsed Catholic, for want of a better term, and one who formally becomes a member of another ecclesial community. Of course rebaptism was never part of the equation.
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