F
frankiejen
Guest
Praying for young persons to attend confession.
Last year, I made some changes to my faith, and one of them was to go to confession more and stop receiving communion in a state of sin. I set a goal for myself to attend confession at least once a month, and, at the time, I had also struggled to go to mass every Sunday, and this too was a goal of mine. In confession, a specific priest would tell me to “reflect on Sunday’s gospel which is going to go over…” as part of my penance. This priest would also mention how nice it was to have younger people in confession (my friend and I would often attend confession together and we are both in our early 20’s). A couple months ago, I went to confession with that same priest, and sure enough, as part of my penance, he told me to reflect on Sunday’s gospel. I cried to him, and told him that this penance he always includes had helped me at a time where going to Sunday mass was such a struggle for me.
Had you asked me a year ago when my last confession was, I wouldn’t have known. This past year has been such a journey in my spiritual life, and I have gone from being nervous and anxious about confession, to being excited. I had looked at confession as something silly, and I never understood why we as Catholics need to do something as vulnerable as tell our sins to another. My friend had mentioned how she was sad that a priest, before mass, had done a group confession because he was running out of time, and absolved them of their sins because of their intent to confess (this was in an Eastern Catholic Church just in case people are unfamiliar with this). I did not understand her emotions at first, because I didn’t know how you could be upset about going to confession and not having to say anything, but I understand them now.
Confession is something I have come to greatly look forward to. Confession is not an uncomfortable situation where you’re telling your sins to someone who is judging you; no, confession is going to a priest, most (if not, all) are incredibly gentle and understanding, and have heard it all, who will speak through the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual weapons to combat your patterns of sin. I have been trying to pray the St. Michael prayer before confession and ask the Lord for the same strength St. Michael has in battle. Confession is also a great way to learn to forgive yourself, and reflect on just how merciful our loving Father is. Walking out of confession is to feel the love of the Father, and it is such a powerful thing that there is no way that I can write out just how much peace and pure love I feel during and after confession now. Let us pray for all peoples, but especially young peoples, that they may see the value of confession, and attend more frequently, until they too, may come to love the most healing part of our beautiful, merciful faith. It may be weird and uncomfortable at first, but I promise, if you stick it out and open your heart, the Holy Spirit will fill you and bind you closer to Christ than you ever thought possible. So, take this new year as a fresh start and set a goal to go to confession once a month. You can do it! We’ll be praying for you. I love you.
Last year, I made some changes to my faith, and one of them was to go to confession more and stop receiving communion in a state of sin. I set a goal for myself to attend confession at least once a month, and, at the time, I had also struggled to go to mass every Sunday, and this too was a goal of mine. In confession, a specific priest would tell me to “reflect on Sunday’s gospel which is going to go over…” as part of my penance. This priest would also mention how nice it was to have younger people in confession (my friend and I would often attend confession together and we are both in our early 20’s). A couple months ago, I went to confession with that same priest, and sure enough, as part of my penance, he told me to reflect on Sunday’s gospel. I cried to him, and told him that this penance he always includes had helped me at a time where going to Sunday mass was such a struggle for me.
Had you asked me a year ago when my last confession was, I wouldn’t have known. This past year has been such a journey in my spiritual life, and I have gone from being nervous and anxious about confession, to being excited. I had looked at confession as something silly, and I never understood why we as Catholics need to do something as vulnerable as tell our sins to another. My friend had mentioned how she was sad that a priest, before mass, had done a group confession because he was running out of time, and absolved them of their sins because of their intent to confess (this was in an Eastern Catholic Church just in case people are unfamiliar with this). I did not understand her emotions at first, because I didn’t know how you could be upset about going to confession and not having to say anything, but I understand them now.
Confession is something I have come to greatly look forward to. Confession is not an uncomfortable situation where you’re telling your sins to someone who is judging you; no, confession is going to a priest, most (if not, all) are incredibly gentle and understanding, and have heard it all, who will speak through the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual weapons to combat your patterns of sin. I have been trying to pray the St. Michael prayer before confession and ask the Lord for the same strength St. Michael has in battle. Confession is also a great way to learn to forgive yourself, and reflect on just how merciful our loving Father is. Walking out of confession is to feel the love of the Father, and it is such a powerful thing that there is no way that I can write out just how much peace and pure love I feel during and after confession now. Let us pray for all peoples, but especially young peoples, that they may see the value of confession, and attend more frequently, until they too, may come to love the most healing part of our beautiful, merciful faith. It may be weird and uncomfortable at first, but I promise, if you stick it out and open your heart, the Holy Spirit will fill you and bind you closer to Christ than you ever thought possible. So, take this new year as a fresh start and set a goal to go to confession once a month. You can do it! We’ll be praying for you. I love you.
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