Seeing priests as sinners and needing the Lord: A blessing!

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Growing up, I always viewed the priests as ‘super holy’ and better than the rest of us. It was hard to imagine them as sinners, or needing God as much as I, a lowly sinner, do. I had the same view of my mom when she went to confession: if a grown woman couldn’t get ‘it’ right, what chance did an ornery disobedient kid have?

I have had the blessing recently of seeing one of my regular confessors in line for Confession to his ‘boss’, the Monsignor of the parish he is the associate priest in. Also recently, I prayed at the Adoration Chapel at our church, after Confession. One of the priests who heard confessions was there as well. This really struck me, as at times, it seemed he was very emotional and perhaps crying. I do not know if it was the same priest who told me that he would be saying prayers and doing penance for my sins on a different occasion, but I’m thinking it was. (I use the screened confessional.) It had struck me HARD in the confessional when the priest told me that, and then again, when I saw a priest, possibly the same one, appearing in Adoration after Confessions.

Just an observation, and one that I’m thankful for. Praise be Jesus!
 
A convert, I have never seen a priest in line for confession. I can imagine I would about faint! I still consider them to be “above” my station - maybe that thinking is misguided? I am not sure.

We have a new young parochial vicar at our parish and I can’t imagine him committing any sin!
 
ccmcmg said:
Growing up, I always viewed the priests as ‘super holy’ and better than the rest of us. It was hard to imagine them as sinners, or needing God as much as I, a lowly sinner, do. I had the same view of my mom when she went to confession: if a grown woman couldn’t get ‘it’ right, what chance did an ornery disobedient kid have?

I have had the blessing recently of seeing one of my regular confessors in line for Confession to his ‘boss’, the Monsignor of the parish he is the associate priest in. Also recently, I prayed at the Adoration Chapel at our church, after Confession. One of the priests who heard confessions was there as well. This really struck me, as at times, it seemed he was very emotional and perhaps crying. I do not know if it was the same priest who told me that he would be saying prayers and doing penance for my sins on a different occasion, but I’m thinking it was. (I use the screened confessional.) It had struck me HARD in the confessional when the priest told me that, and then again, when I saw a priest, possibly the same one, appearing in Adoration after Confessions.

Just an observation, and one that I’m thankful for. Praise be Jesus!
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That’s why we need to pray for priests too. My parish priests always asks us to keep praying for them. God bless them.
 
It’s encouraging to see priests in line for confession! They could easily go incognito to some other parish so I find it wonderful they line up for confession in a Church where they can be recognized. Sends a good message about the Sacrament.

Mary.
 
tawny said:
That’s why we need to pray for priests too. My parish priests always asks us to keep praying for them. God bless them.
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Even the Pope has a confessor and confesses his sins.
As Pope Francis said, “We are all sinners.”
 
And without God’s help, the devil is stronger than every single one of us. And how will God help us if we dont pray?
 
I have seen Priests waiting to go to Confession. God forgive me, but I would not stay behind one who is in the line. Onece I got to church to go to Confession and there was a Priest waiting. I was already at church and did not feel like leaving. When I got home, my parents asked me why I had taken so long (not the usual thing for me). When I told them I was behind a Priest, all they said was, “Oh!” freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif

Yes, it is good to pray for Priests. They help us, but need God’s graces to do that.

Luz Maria
 
Do most parish priests not have their own regular confessors, at their diocese offices? Seems off for Fr Bob to be standing beside me waiting for Fr Joe’s line to clear.
 
fencersmother said:
Do most parish priests not have their own regular confessors, at their diocese offices? Seems off for Fr Bob to be standing beside me waiting for Fr Joe’s line to clear.
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I don’t know why they couldn’t go to any priest, the same as us. The priest I saw in line was the associate pastor, and the confessor hearing that day was the Monsignor of the parish, and the celebrant that day at daily Mass.
Luz_Maria said:
I have seen Priests waiting to go to Confession. God forgive me, but I would not stay behind one who is in the line. Onece I got to church to go to Confession and there was a Priest waiting. I was already at church and did not feel like leaving. When I got home, my parents asked me why I had taken so long (not the usual thing for me). When I told them I was behind a Priest, all they said was, “Oh!” freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing001.gif

Yes, it is good to pray for Priests. They help us, but need God’s graces to do that.

Luz Maria
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🙂 Why didn’t you want to be in line behind a priest? Just curious. 🙂 For the record, one of the more harsh penances I’ve received was my confession the same day as the above priest. I had confessed similar sins to other priests, and not been penance-d so harshly. It could have been the confessor though; I hadn’t been to him before anyway.
 
ccmcmg said:
. . . .]

🙂 Why didn’t you want to be in line behind a priest? Just curious. 🙂 For the record, one of the more harsh penances I’ve received was my confession the same day as the above priest. I had confessed similar sins to other priests, and not been penance-d so harshly. It could have been the confessor though; I hadn’t been to him before anyway.
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Well . . . they take much longer in the confessional. 😊 It is common in other countries to see Priests in line for Confession. That they take longer is also known amongst us. Maybe it is a “foreign” thing. I mean no disrespect at all to Priests.
 
Luz_Maria said:
Well . . . they take much longer in the confessional. 😊 It is common in other countries to see Priests in line for Confession. That they take longer is also known amongst us. Maybe it is a “foreign” thing. I mean no disrespect at all to Priests.
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Last time I confessed (last Saturday) I was behind three nuns :bigyikes:

Back on topic, our priest makes no bones about saying that he struggles with sin, just like the rest of us. Of course, he is also a retired army colonel, so he’s pro’ly had a little more exposure than a priest who went into the seminary right out of high school.
 
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