Remorse for Repentance/Absolution

[Kmon23]

I have yet to be properly received into the church so I can’t receive confession, but for future reference I ask this question.
My old church is very emotional (I was “on fire” from the old church’s perspective). But I’ve accepted the Catholic Church as the true church and have since grown in actually living out the Christian life (honoring parents, being courteous and generous).

However my emotions have died. In case of confession, what does it mean to have repentance?
Let’s say I commit a mortal sin. I am extremely sorry for committing the sin BECAUSE I know it hurt Christ. I have firm amendment to change solely because I want to make Jesus happy. However, I don’t on my own feel sorry or remorseful. Morality wise, I understand why it is wrong but I don’t feel sorry for it emotionally.

It’s sort of like a child always tries to do the right thing not because on his own accord he feels remorseful and so tries to make the right choice, but solely from the fact that the child wants to do the right thing because he wants to obey his parent and not hurt his parent by being disobedient, and this is regardless of how the child actually feels.

Would this be enough to receive absolution? Is this what it means to be repentant, because a person wants to do it for Christ and wants to change, but not necessarily because he actually feels sorry?

My will of living out my Christian life for Christ has only been growing since I’ve been growing in the Catholic faith, but emotionally I feel dead. By the fact that I don’t feel remorseful means I am not remorseful or repentant?
I try to life my life for God to not offend Him, I want to make Him happy, but I don’t feel sorry.

 

[ILoveYeshua]

All that is necessary for Absolution is any kind of contrition for your sins.
It could be because you don’t want to go to Hell, you want to go to Heaven, etc.
Sorrow for sins primarily because you’ve offended God is called Perfect Contrition, and if you have it, you can have your sins forgiven on the spot, provided that you intend on going to Reconciliation at your next opportunity.
Anybody correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think one’s feelings matter in having Perfect Contrition.

 

[Ad_Orientem]

What matters most is the will. We must resolve never to offend God again (even though we know we probably will, due to our weakness). Tears are appropriate, and we can and should pray for them, but they are not a requirement for valid absolution.

I would also clarify that it is more than mere remorse of conscience. This is a natural response that anyone, even without God, can have. One can regret it, for example, because it makes oneself look bad, or in fact because he knows it is wrong. What the sacrament calls for is a supernatural motive, i.e. those mentioned in the Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen. (This is the traditional American version; there are other versions.)