Taking in notes to confession

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JoyToTheWhirled

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I shall be making my first confession in the next couple of weeks - I have a lot to confess from the nearly 25 years since I was baptized! It feels somewhat overwhelming, and I don’t want to miss anything out. I was wondering if it is ok to bring a general list to prompt me to remember everything? Father C said we don’t have to go into enormous detail of every sin committed in those intervening years, but I am still a little confused about what level of detail is necessary. I mean, as a simple eg. there is a lot of fornication in those years, do I have to list each instance or will the word fornication cover it?
 
Of course…of course. Great idea…and tell the priest “Father, help me to make a good first confession…I have some notes because I want to be clean…”…and he’ll be overjoyed to help you. He and God will be smiling.

You can say…Father there might have been 50 or 100 of these ones…I can’t remember the number…but I am sorry for each one.

The priest will help you find the right level of granularity…ask for help and abandon yourself into the arms of God.

Marvelous. God bless.
 
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You can bring in notes. Just ensure thay you destroy them.

In regards to specificity, your time span, along with the simple qualifiers ‘once’ and ‘multiple times’ should suffice - At least they have for me in my experiences.
 
No, you can speak in generalities concerning a person sins’s of fornication over the years. Maybe you just have to tell about how much over the years. The common catch phrase is to tell your sin and the number of times you committed the sin to help the priest to get an idea of the magnitude and frequency.

A list is fine.

Although I’m not an expert, I don’t think the confession should take more than 20 to 30 minutes.

It’s good to see you back. Haven’t seen you in a while.
 
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People do that all the time, specially if it’s been a while since their last confession.

As for specifics, given how long it’s been since your last confession, estimates should be fine. When I went about after a while without going, I gave a rough estimate of frequency. “I committed that and that sin around once a week. I committed this other sin once a day…”

While number and kind are necessary for a valid confession, the priest also knows that sometimes people just can’t know the number, and so estimates like that are fine. The only reason they wouldn’t be okay is if you purposefully try to downplay the frequency, or try to use it to avoid confessing more specific sins. (i.e., you wouldn’t confession fornication, masturbation, and pornography viewing under the same header. They may all come from the 6th commandment, but they have to be confessed individually).

I hope this helps. Let us know if you have any other questions. I just came form confession myself, it’s always a relief, no matter how embarrassing or frightening it may seem going into that booth.
 
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Its explaining everything in general of what you commited as mortal sin throughout those years. It can be genrality of those sins and we sin with different scenarios, but it is the sin that was commited. Once we go into confession, God knows what we have done and we say what we have done that disobeyed God’s rule, not our entire story. God will know what we confess for, for may we confess those sins we also dont remember but have done. For example a person who has lied, there might be different scenarios of the lies he commited but it can fall under the general sin of lying.

Apologies that If it doenst make lots of sense, I was hearing about it in bible study so If I can clear any confusion, I will do my best. Also its fine to bring reference to those sins for reminder, just remember to destroy it after for God will forgive and forget what we have done.
 
You may take notes into the confessional or if you’re worried about losing them you may prefer to use a confession app (there are a number available on app stores).

If you are making a general confession it may be an idea to book an appointment to do so; if a parish had a half hour slot for confessions you may not have much time if there are others before you and equally it is unfair to take up all that time if others are also waiting.
 
PREACH!

There’s nothing like the feeling of being 4th in line for Confession, with 10 minutes remaining before the priest has to leave, and the person has taken 10 minutes, when, even if you have a laundry list of sins, Confession should take no more than 4 minutes.
 
Using notes or a phone memopad is fine, it’s what I do.

Plus it gives the added symbolism after you’re done of physically erasing your sins - I love that.

Let’s say you’ve watched all sorts of porn, slept with dozens of people, done all sorts of sins of the flesh.

Here’s how you could word it - “forgive my many sins of lust - fantasies, thoughts, pornography, masturbation, fornication - many hundreds of times.”

That covers it.
 
Oh thanks everyone! I am much reassured. Tremendously nervous about the whole thing as you may imagine, but a little more confident with the practicalities now.

To be clear, this is my first ever confession, so my ignorance is about the form and experience itself, too, as well as the content, so thank you to those who have advised about the timings. I believe, unless I have misunderstood, that the confession itself will be part of a retreat day the weekend before Easter, rather than at the regularly scheduled time for the sacrament of reconciliation at my church, and there are only a few of us, so time won’t be quite the issue that it could be. But I am grateful for the advice. 🙂
 
You can make a list, that’s fine.

You do not have to be exact in your numbers as other people have already said. If the priest needs more information, he will ask. 🙂
 
@(name removed by moderator), perhaps you can repaste that confession graphic you posted once before that shows what is said in confession? Joy can print it out and refer to it if she wishes.
 
I think for your first confession, you should be able to take your own sweet time. It’s something very meaningful for you and if takes 30 minutes, so be it.

Logistically, you might want to make a special time with Father outside of regular confession hours.

(Reminder to others: this is her first confession ever and as an adult convert to the faith, I think she deserves as much time as is necessary. )
 
That’s what I did when I returned to the church about 6 years ago (I was away for about 20). It’s fine!
 
JoyToTheWhirled said:
Oh thanks everyone! I am much reassured. Tremendously nervous about the whole thing as you may imagine, but a little more confident with the practicalities now.

To be clear, this is my first ever confession, so my ignorance is about the form and experience itself, too, as well as the content, so thank you to those who have advised about the timings. I believe, unless I have misunderstood, that the confession itself will be part of a retreat day the weekend before Easter, rather than at the regularly scheduled time for the sacrament of reconciliation at my church, and there are only a few of us, so time won’t be quite the issue that it could be. But I am grateful for the advice. 🙂
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Since it’s going to be your first confession, I highly suggest you watch the FORGIVIEN series on FORMED.org

If you or your parish do not have a subscription to FORMED, you can get a free 7 day trial on their website and watch the FORGIVEN series. It’s very good.

I think watching all 5 sessions in the series (and perhaps even the session for kids) may help you feel more comfortable.

God Bless
 
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How wonderful that this will be your first confession. Can’t really say how you’ll feel as each person is different. Feeling nervous is natural (and even ashamed - it’s good to be ashamed of our sins after all).
As you should have plenty of time on a retreat you can take your time. Use an examination of conscience to help you (loads available, some use the 10 commandments, others use the Beautitudes, whatever works best for you).
You can also ask the priest to take you through your first confession. He will ask questions and you answer as best you can.
YouTube has a number of videos on confession which may also help.


There’s another good one on there somewhere which has mock confessions but can’t find them at the moment.
 
Found it!

This is part 2. Links to others are easy to find from there. 🙂

 
Wait. You are not allowed to post Father Mike videos. Im sorry. I’m pretty sure @(name removed by moderator) has that market cornered, and you’ll need her permission before encroaching on her territory.
 
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🤣🤣🤣 Oh c’mon. Very few people here take me seriously.

Besides, I linked to you because I knew you’d reply in approximately 3.78 seconds upon hailing you.
 
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