Should a swear thought be confessed?

[DoxieMama]

Last night I had a thought pop into my head where I said the F word to Jesus. I felt very distressed afterward, asked Jesus for forgiveness, and told Satan to back off. I love Jesus and would never dream of talking to Him like that. The thought just popped into my head.

Is this something I need to confess during my First Confession (am in RCIA)?

 

[DoxieMama]

I forgot to mention…I do suffer from OCD.

 

[Bookcat]

All sorts of thoughts can happen to us out of the blue…

the fact that a though happened to one- does not mean per se there was any sin. Such can pop in -and there be not even a small sin.

And for mortal sin one needs not only grave matter, but full knowledge and deliberate (complete) consent…

(And some need some medical/professional assistance in this area…such as medication etc…as you note you struggle with OCD )​

Now…

For the next few moments --try real hard NOT to think of Apple.

then scroll down.

What did you think of?

An apple.

Even though your will was against it -you did not want to think of an apple.

The best thing to do with such thoughts is not to fight them directly --not fear that they will come…do not consent and simply and calmly turn to something else…(or it may be best to keep doing the good thing one is doing…like they come out of the blue when your at work …keep working …etc)

Ignore such unwanted thoughts like one would ignore a hissing goose or a barking dog. One does not stop to argue with a hissing goose or a barking dog does one? No one keeps on walking…and at most laughs at them…

(as noted above the image there comes from a Carthusian Monk from centuries ago)

As to confession -one is only obliged to confess mortal sins. Venial sins can be confessed.

Things that are not sinful (like unwanted thoughts that pop in and we do not consent --indeed we do not want them at all!) – are not even matter for confession.

 

[david_patrick]

hi,
i read your comments so i if i understand right-your are in the RCIA and have not been baptised if so,yet; a question for for forum members might be if you can just visit the confessional box or small room while the priest is sitting there/, remind the priest-'i am in the RCIA-'and-just give a trial run couseling/.the priest might only answer a question or two…not the absolution…from parish to parish might be different…
notice those entering for mass to begin to dip into the baptismal font, and follow through, father son holy spirit. - a challenge to me is to remind myself that we share the same baptismal waters…hence reminding myself to spend some time in the mass to ,.start praying for others, some passing women or a kid, aged persons,
, i may ask the Lord-to give me the gift of knowing where my past spiritual paths have taken me, being aware of my map as time spent lost, or paths that prove confusing-the sacrement of baptism assures learning, as prayer councils, matures in the faith ;i ask for spiritual things/God is close, how so? ithis being discovered in that the Holy spirit offers loving gifts…hope that helps to further…inquire…

 

[TK421]

@DoxieMama:

You yourself can know with 100% certainty whether or not you were actually genuinely blaspheming Jesus in your heart. Clearly, the answer is ‘no’.

When we know what is right and what is wrong, our minds can potentially spontaneously generate all sorts of nonsense. This is not abnormal. It’s happened to me before also. If you’re experiencing something like that, just try saying a brief prayer, and then go about what you were doing. If you dwell on it, then you’re just psyching yourself out. If you were doing nothing at all, that’s probably part of the problem. When we’re sitting around idly for extended periods of time, our minds can wander into who-knows-where. This is why sloth and lust are so often connected at the hip.