A
AlbertDerGrosse
Guest
During Advent this year I pledged to more frequently avail myself of the Sacrament and due to the increased frequency found myself at times taking advantage of the daily confessions at the cathedral, though I prefer seeing my regular handful of priests who know me and where the experience doesn’t feel like an express line in a grocery store. Anyway, I went one week and was told by one priest that I’m scrupulous and should consider confessing less frequently. The next week I was told by another priest that I’m taking advantage of the Sacrament and that there is no grace to be had in such confessions since they are disingenuous. I was seriously scared for a minute that for the first time in my life I was about to be denied absolution! I’m like you, Bear. I’m far from a confessional hog. I jump in, recite my laundry list of sins, and then leave the rest to the priest. I’m also very reluctant to in any way correct the priest even if I think he’s going on a long tangent that doesn’t apply to me or (in the case of these two priests I mentioned) they make a faulty assumption about my circumstances. But these two experiences really left me dazed and confused for a while since the priests were saying mutually exclusive things. I thought about it for a couple weeks since I didn’t want to be haughty and miss a genuine opportunity at getting better but ultimately I had to just chalk it up to the priests not being able to read minds or consciences. They can’t all be Padre Pios! 
