has come to mind at some point in the past... But, its been a long, long time since you
last went. Maybe even your last confession was your first... On the day you made your
First Penance.
Whatever the case may be, here you are... Watching this video. My friend,
you didn't end up on here by accident. God, in however way He chose to, has led you here...
And he led you here for a reason: To come back to Him...
The take advantage of this
time of grace when He offer you His Divine Mercy, to forgive and forget anything and
everything that you have ever done in your life... To free you of the guilt that has
weighed on you for so long... To fill you with His love and grace... And to lead you
on the path that will bring you back to Him.
The first thing to know before we begin is...
It's OKAY that you have been away for so long. What's important now is that here you are...
Ready to return to God... To wipe the slate clean... To be spiritually cleansed...
And
to start anew. The priest, who you will be confessing your sins to, will NOT judge you.
And I can almost garuantee that there is NOTHING. That you have done sinful that he has never
heard someone confess before. No, you are NOT the biggest sinner in the world.
There
are many, many greater sinners that have come before you and have been made new. If anything,
the priest is more than ecstatic to minister to someone who has been away from the sacrament
for so long. He will understand how you are feeling: the nervousness, the hesitation,
the anxiety. These feelings are completely normal and common...
Even for those who receive the sacrament regularly.
But how you feel after your confession is
nothing short but rewarding. Do not let these emotions prevent you from going through with
the confession. So, with that said, are you ready? Let's begin this step-by-step process
of how to go to Confession. The first thing to do is find out the Confession
times at your local parish.
Most churches have confession available before the Saturday
afternoon mass. You can refer to the parish bulletin or check the parish's website for
designated times. If need be, you can also call the parish office to make an appointment
with the priest. The next thing to do is to prepare for your
confession, which is one of the most important parts of going to Confession.
Find a quiet place where you can go to examine
your conscience. What sins have you committed since your last confession? It's more than
likely that you will not be able to recall ALL of your sins, since its been a long time
since your last confession. This is nothing to worry about. If you have trouble recalling
your sins at the time of your confession, the priest may guide you in recalling your
sins by asking you questions, such as Have you missed Mass? And etc.
There are two VERY important things to mention
here. The first is: You must truly be sorry for
your sins... This meaning that you must acknowledge them as being offensive to God... And make
a commitment to avoid committing these sins again; though in our human weakness, that's
not to say that we won't commit them.
And secondly: It IS very important that you
do not hold back any sins you know that you have committed. This is Confession; where
sinners give account for their sins to God, through the priest, with the promise of God's
forgiveness. In deliberately withholding a sin, is in itself a grave sin. Don't not be
afraid to confess even your dirtiest, ugliest sin.
The priest will not judge you, nor is
he allowed to report you to the authorities. This is YOUR time to confess your sins to
GOD; it is much more wise to do it NOW... When you will be forgiven... Then to do it
after your death...
When you will stand before God... To be judged. When its time for confession, and you have
arrived at the church, the first thing to do is look for where the confessions are taking
place. They are usually held inside a small room inside the Church.
If you need help in
locating it, ask a fellow parishioner who will guide you. Assuming there is no line, enter the room
and close the door behind you for privacy reasons. In most cases, you have a choice:
to sit face-to-face with the priest or to confess your sins hidden behind a screen,
where you will not see the priest and the priest will not see you. For obvious reasons, most people prefer to
be anonymous and chose to confess their sins behind the screen...
And so that's how we
will be demonstrating it. After you have entered the room and closed
to door behind you, locate the screen and kneeler where you will make your confession.
Kneel on the kneeler before the screen. Begin your confession by making the sign of
the cross and saying how long it's been since your last confession In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Bless me Father, for I have sinned, its been _____ since my last
confession.
If you can't remember when your last confession
was, do not worry. Let the priest know that its been a long time. He will understand,
and this will most likely let him know that you may need some additional guidance in receiving
the sacrament. In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Bless me Father, for I have sinned, it's been a while since my
last confession. I don't remember how long it's been, Father. After you say this, the priest will welcome
you to the sacrament. And, because its been awhile since you have been to confession and
he understands the nervousness you are feeling, he will most likely offer words to comfort
your anxiety.
Once prompted to do so, go ahead and confess your sins. Remember to do your best to admit your sins...
Admit everything... God already knows, now is the time to own up to what you have done.
Again, the priest has heard worse things than what you have to say. And, under God, he is
under a oath of confidentiality.
He can not repeat your sins to anyone. Even if you have
murdered someone; the priest is not permitted to call authorities; he cannot be subpoenaed.
Just like that saying What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? The same for confession.
So don't worry. Jesus is ready to forgive you. What are some of the sins do you must
confess if you have committed them? After you have confessed your sins, the priest
will offer advice and guidance in regards to what you have confessed.
Listen to his
words. When he is finished, he will give you a penance
to do, which are usually, but not always, a set of prayers to say. The penance will
diminish the temporal punishment due to the sins you have received forgiveness for. The priest will then prompt you to make an
Act of Contrition, which is a prayer we pray to God.
There are several versions of this
prayer, but they all say the same thing: we confess to God that we have sinned, we acknowledge
that though we have offended God that He still loves us and is ready to forgive us, and that
we will promise to try harder not to sin and offend Him. If you do not know the Act of Contrition,
there is usually a copy of the prayer somewhere near the confession screen. Recite it. If,
for whatever reason, a copy is not available, the priest will guide you with the prayer.
The priest will conclude the confession by
giving you absolution. He will say this prayer. "God the Father of mercies, through the death
and resurrection of your son, you have reconciled the world to yourself 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." Make the Sign of the Cross as he gives you
absolution. The priest will usually say : Your sins
are forgiven, go in peace or something similar. At which point you can thank him, get up,
and leave the confessional. Remember to leave the door open behind you so the next person
in line will know its okay to enter.
But... You are not done quite yet! Remember
to penance the priest gave you? Now is the time to do it. In order for your sins to be
forgiven, the penance must be done. Again, most likely the penance will be to pray.
Most
people go to a pew inside the church after confession, kneel, and pray the penance given
to them at that point. Remember to give thanks to God for His Mercy. Once you've completed your penance, you're
done! That's it! You've gone to Confession! Your sins are forgiven! Your souls is squeeky-clean!
Enjoy the spiritual bliss that your soul experiences at this point. Let it motivate you to do good,
to come closer to Jesus, to love others, and to serve God.
Remember to confess your sins often. It gives
you grace and great spiritual strength. The Church encourages its members to make use
of this beautiful sacrament regularly. You should attend Confession at least once a year,
or at any time when you have committed a mortal sin.
Even if you haven't committed a mortal
sin, going once a month is recommended to help with forgiveness of venial sins. Don't be afraid. Don't let dear and anxieties
keep you away from Jesus's forgiveness. If He went through all the suffering on the cross
for us, being broken, beaten, exposed, and tortured, then surely we should have the courage
to come to Him in this holy sacrament.
Remember, His love for you is stronger than any fear
or sin you have within you. Forward this video to someone who needs it. God bless you!.
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