confession catholic

I don't feel like I get out of confession what I should. I don't feel any better after confession, and though I make the utmost attempt to feel sorrow for my sins, I don't. To me, it feels like a bland recitation of my sins and then it's over. Do you have any suggestions to help me get more out of confession?

You need to (a) spend more time in prayer, (b) go to Mass more often and (c) find a way to serve, whether it's helping out at the church or serving in a soup kitchen.

You don't feel remorse for your sins because you don't quite believe they are sins. You somehow are feeling like it's perfectly okay for you to commit those sins again and again and again. You need spiritual growth to overcome this.

2009-06-18 21:02:13 by LMDDMLM

Monsignor Eric Barr, Episcopal Vicar for Clergy and Religious for the Diocese of Rockford, IL, responds to the frequently asked question - quot ...

I am going through the RCIA course and have to do a confession. I have no idea what to say during confession or what to confess... Can anyone give me some input and an overveiw of the process of a catholic confession?

1st of all, examine your conscience (before confession)
Decide what sins you need to dump. On one hand don't be scrupulous, on the other hand be as specific as you can.

Basically what you've done that was wrong, and what good you failed to do, and maybe the attitudes behind it all. Don't just say I am sorry. Be specific without worrying how the priest will react. He's there to help.

Just know your sins and be truly sorry for them.
After confessing the sins, wrap it up by saying, "I'm sorry for any other sins I might have forgotten."
When the priest asks you to do so, pray out loud the Act of Forgiveness (sometimes called the Act of Contrition). Some Catholics memorize it. Others, if they are not sure, write it down on a piece of paper and read it; still others make up one by praying from their heart.
Then the priest will give the Absolution. Open up your self to the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the absolution prayer, the priest says "I absolve you from your sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, . .." (You bless yourselves as the priest says these words.)
It is then that we believ that your sins are forgiven and your soul will be as clean as it was when you were first baptized!
It feels good to be right with God!
The priest will give you a penance which is a prayer(s) or maybe a good deed to get you started in living a new life. (You pray that penance after you leave the confessional or reconciliation room.
Finally spend some time just thanking the Lord for His forgiveness.

The most important thing is to know your sins and to be truly sorry for them.
Hey, I wish you the best, son. Welcome aboard! Walk in peace with your Savior!
Hope this helps.
Jim

2009-03-05 08:19:06 by malibu_stacy1985

Price: $5.99

How specific are you supposed to get when going to confession? I ask this because I was having a discussion with some friends and one of them said that when she got married, she wanted to be married in the church and so she lied to the priest about how many times she had been married (2 one divorce and one death). She said she had gone to confession and told the priest that she "had lied" but wasn't specific and didn't say what the lie was or to whom. My question as a non-catholic would be would she considered to be forgiven for confessing so non-specifically?

Remember all sacraments are encounters with God. This sacrament is a healing encounter between God and the penitent. God knows the heart of your friend and whether or not she was sorry.

Giving the priest a blow by blow account of every detail of every sin is not really necessary.

So, yes, she was probably forgiven.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2s ect2chpt2.htm

With love in Christ.

2008-09-06 02:32:51 by Diane B

Price: $14.99

We are preparing for my 8 year old daughters 1 confession. Need all the help I can get thanks.

If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay. php?f=26

2008-11-22 13:11:59 by topekat

im christain, but today in drama class we were tlkin about catholic confession and i dont really get it. do you go into a cubicle type room hiding faces and confess straight on? do you go with your parents? do you confess to everything? if you have any idea please hlp, im just curious! thanks

Confession, also called reconciliation or penance, is one of seven Catholic sacraments. During confession, a Catholic tells a priest her sins and receives absolution for them. Confession practices vary from church to church, but the scenario described below is typical.

Before going to confession, a Catholic might "examine her conscience" by reviewing past actions, thoughts, and patterns of behavior. Some Catholics evaluate their behavior in light of the Ten Commandments.

Catholic churches often offer confession on Saturday afternoons. The sacrament ordinarily takes from 5 to 20 minutes. First, the Catholic goes into a church and either enters a confessional (a small closet-like room, often at the back of churches) or a regular room designated as a confessional. Depending on the church and the person's own choice, the person kneels or sits, and then speaks to the priest through a screen or face to face.

Inside the confessional, the Catholic:

# Makes the sign of the cross and says: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," or simply begins to speak.
# Tells the priest how long it has been since she last confessed.
# Confesses her sins. While in the past people numbered sins ("I yelled at my brother 5 times"), some people now tend to summarize sinful behaviors ("I didn't treat my brother with respect" or "I didn't show my brother love").

The priest then might question the person or elicit more information. While some priests might help a person understand why she is acting in certain ways, confession is not equivalent to a psychotherapy session. Sins must be recognized as sins and not personality issues.

The person says a prayer expressing sorrow for her sins, such as the Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended you,
and I detest all my sins
because of your just punishment,
but most of all because they offend you, my God,
Who are all good and deserving of my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

The priest often gives the person a "penance," or deeds to perform to heal her relationships with God and others. For smaller sins, the priest might ask her to say certain prayers, such as several "Our Fathers." For more serious sins, more serious penances are specified, such as making restitution. The person is expected to perform the penance after she leaves the confessional or in the following days.

If the priest feels that the person is sincere (this is nearly always the case), he absolves her sins using a prayer such as:

God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son,
has reconciled the world to himself,
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins.
Through the ministry of the Church,
may God grant you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you of your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christia nity/Catholic/2001/08/What-Happens-Durin g-Confession.aspx

Some Protestants will say confession of sins to a priest is not in the Bible. That claim has to do with agendas, not the truth. For a list of verses, see http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confess ion.html

2009-03-13 20:58:56 by HannahG((: