If it's been a while since your last confession and you need a refresher, don't worry! This article will help you prepare for a good confession.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part 1: Before Confession
Step 1. Find out when there are confessions
Most parishes offer this service weekly while some do it every day. If yours does not offer confessions at the times that are best for you, call your pastor and ask him for a private meeting.
You can ask for a private confession if you think yours is longer than 15 minutes. It is a good idea if, for example, you have left the church, committed a serious sin, or have not confessed in a very long time
Step 2. Really repent of your sins
The idea of confession and repentance is to feel really contrite - the act of feeling that. You must clearly reject the sin you have committed and make a commitment not to let yourself be led astray again. You must prove to God that you are truly repentant and sorry, and profess your refusal to commit those sins again.
This does not mean that you will never sin again: we are human beings and it happens to us every day. Simply, you will try to avoid any occasion that can lead to sin - this is true for the purpose of repentance. If you want, God will help you resist as long as you intend to improve yourself
Step 3. Do an examination of conscience
Think about what you did wrong and why. Consider the pain you brought to God through that particular sin and reflect on the fact that for this Jesus suffered further pains on the cross. That's why being truly sorry is a necessary component of a good confession.
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Ask yourself these questions as you examine your conscience:
- When did I make my last confession? Was she honest?
- Did I make any special promises to God on that occasion? And if so, did I keep it?
- Have I committed any mortal or grave sin since my last confession?
- Did I follow the Ten Commandments?
- Have I ever doubted my faith?
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 4 Step 4. Search the Holy Scriptures
A good start is the 10 Commandments - Exodus 20: 1-17 or Deuteronomy 5: 6-21. Here are some ideas to remind you how magnanimous God is with his forgiveness:
- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity." 1 John 1: 9.
- How is it possible that a sinner can be forgiven? "If anyone has sinned we have an advocate with the Father: the righteous Jesus Christ. He is the victim of atonement for our sins" 1 John 2: 1, 2.
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Whom to confess sins to and why? "I have sinned against you, against you alone, and I have done what is evil in your eyes" Psalms. 51: 4.
See Genesis 39: 9
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 5 Step 5. Pray often before a confession
You have to honestly repent. Pray to the Holy Ghost to guide you and help you remember what it means to be sincerely contrite. For example, use this invocation: "Come Holy Spirit, enlighten me that I can clearly recognize my sins, touch my heart so that I can repent and improve my life. Amen."
Try to isolate the causes of your sins: Do you have questionable inclinations? Is it a weakness of spirit? Or maybe just bad habits? Try to eliminate at least one of these causes. This will make it easier for you to get rid of one negative aspect of your life and focus on the more positive
Method 2 of 3: Part 2: During Confession
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 6 Step 1. Wait your turn before entering the confessional
When it's time, choose an open-faced confession or an anonymous one. If you prefer to remain anonymous, kneel in front of the curtain that separates you from the priest. If you prefer to be face to face, you just have to sit next to him.
Remember that confessions are confidential - the priest will not (and never can) reveal your sins to other people. It is linked to the secrecy of the confessional to the detriment of circumstances, even those related to death. Don't let your worries tarnish your confession
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 7 Step 2. Start confessing
The priest will open the rite with the Sign of the Cross. Follow his directions. There are some variations but the Latin Rite is the most common.
- In the Latin Rite: One makes the Sign of the Cross saying, "Forgive me Father, because I have sinned" and tells everything that has happened since the last confession. (It is not necessary to remember how many times one has sinned but only the major sins.)
- In the Byzantine Rite: Kneel before the Icon of Christ, the priest will be seated next to you and will be able to place his epitrachelio on your head. This passage could only take place at the moment of the Absolution Prayer. Either way, don't worry.
- In other Eastern Churches: The forms may differ.
- Despite the variations, tell about your sins (including how many times you've committed them). Follow an order from the most serious to the least serious. Don't avoid the deadly ones that come to your mind. You don't have to go into detail unless the priest asks you - and if that's the case, it will.
Method 3 of 3: Part 3: After Confession
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 8 Step 1. Listen to the priest
He will often offer advice on how to avoid sin in the future. Later he will have you recite the Act of Pain. You have to say it sincerely, convinced of the words you say. If you don't know her, write her and ask the priest to help you.
At the end of your session, the priest will give you a penance (to be 'served' as soon as possible). He will tell you, "I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." If you make the Sign of the Cross, imitate it. Then he will let you go and tell you "The peace of the Lord be with you." Answer, "And with your Spirit" smile and walk out of the confessional
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 9 Step 2. Practice your punishment
Go back to the church and sit where you were before. When you start praying, thank God for forgiveness. If you remember any serious sin that you did not mention, you will confess it on your next visit to the priest.
If the priest has given you a punishment made up of prayers, recite it quietly and devotedly. Kneel on the bench, hands folded and head bowed until you have completed them and have properly reflected on your experience. The purpose is to reconcile you with the Sacraments
Make a Good Confession in the Catholic Church Step 10 Step 3. You will live better in the light of God's forgiveness
Stand up with confidence because the Lord loves you and has been merciful to you. Live for Him every minute of your life and let everyone see how wonderful it is to serve the Lord.
Be aware. Don't use confession as a reason to excuse your sins. Be glad you have been forgiven and live as God intended to minimize the need to confess
Part 4: Act of Pain
«My God, I repent and I regret my sins with all my heart, because by sinning I have deserved your punishments, and much more because I have offended you, infinitely good and worthy of being loved above all things. I propose with your holy help never to be offended again and to flee the next occasions of sin. Lord, mercy, forgive me. Amen"
Advice
- Don't be afraid to let off steam. One of the best things about confession is that the priest can give you excellent advice and serve you as a mentor. He has probably heard confessions like yours before and as such is ready for anything you can tell him in the future.
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Remember the purpose of this sacrament. The penitent seeks forgiveness in order to be reconciled with God and his Church.
True: God knows our sins and we don't need to "remind him". While this sacrament may make you feel better, it is simply the natural result of your return to fellowship with God and the church. The sinner repents and restores the grace received at Baptism. See CCC 1440 and following: [1]
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Be clear, concise, contrite and complete. Or:
- Clear: Don't use "euphemisms" (words that sound better) - call things by their name and don't take too long to say them.
- Concise: Don't go around the subject looking for explanations and excuses. Confession is the only process in which the guilty is acquitted!
- Contrite: You must be sorry. Sometimes it doesn't feel like that - it's OK, just try. Only by making a confession will we know intimately that we are. And doing extra penance as a fine is a good way to show God we're sorry for offending him.
- Complete: All sins must be told. Especially the deadly ones. It is also a good idea to confess the venial ones even if it is not mandatory. If you receive Communion with mercy and a clean heart, venial sins can be forgiven, but it is always better to confess often and be contrite. That is why it is a good idea to do it often, so as not to forget anything. If you confess without mentioning a mortal sin, this very act is sinning and you will have to go back to confession explaining that you have omitted it intentionally. One should never take Communion without having confessed mortal sins. It is a sacrilege that deeply offends God.
- The seal of confession prevents the priest from recounting sins to a living soul, under penalty of excommunication. This means that no one, not even the Pope can ask him to tell them. Also, a priest cannot testify in a trial by citing your confessions.
Warnings
- Be careful that your examination of conscience does not evolve into a constant sense of guilt. Treat your wrongs honestly and calmly.
- Make sure you are truly sorry for what you did. Your confession is meaningless otherwise and you will not be forgiven.
- Under normal circumstances, only a baptized Catholic can receive the Sacrament of Conciliation. However, this restriction lapses in the event of seriousness (for example the imminent death of a non-Catholic Christian).
