Sunday, May 02, 2010
And go to Confession.
It's good for the soul.
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Rose, the mother in Moonstruck ordered her husband to confession after he renounced his mistress, saying, "And go to confession." (Watch the video.)
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So go to confession - even when you think you don't need to. You receive an increase of grace and charity. If you've been crabby, depressed, anxious, stressed, tempted to sin - go to confession. Confess your venial sins. Just go to confession regularly.
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While I was struggling with particular sins I sometimes went to confession about every third day of the week - I would drive miles just to get to a church that had confessions - or I'd call a priest and ask to see him to make my confession. I once made my confession, and received communion at the 5 PM Mass - on my way home I fell into sin - the next morning I was back at confession, completely broken down. It was frequent confession and communion that freed me from habitual sin... oh, and the rosary. Constant, daily praying of the rosary - sometimes many rosaries a day. It took a long time - but anyone can do it if they keep going to confession... and praying the rosary. (Try to pray the rosary and go to communion without confession and Our Lady will make you go to confession, so go to confession before you hurt your Mother.)
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And when you think there is nothing to confess - that is when you should begin to understand the fierce battle going on for your soul. So humble yourself and go to confession. It feels so good.
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The Sacrament of Penance restores charity in the case of mortal sin, and in the case of venial sin, charity is greatly increased.
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It's very simple.
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I love confession. Went yesterday myself.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed it is very simple: the rosary, the Eucharist and Confession? I am forever changed...
ReplyDeleteIt is good to go to confession frequently.
ReplyDeleteHowever, don't stop poor sinners from going. They are the ones that show up for confessions on time, not an hour and a half early like us Holy Rollers. They will be the ones with the sad looks, or anxious looks.
Give them your spot in line. Besides, the Padre is probably tired of hearing the four sins you keep confessing each week anyway.
Inadvertently, you will be doing an act of Charity.
And don't be gauwking at everybody in line, being scandalized by all the sinners in line with you.
A prayer for the Priest
O Lord Jesus Christ, Bless, I beseech Thee, Thy servant who has now ministered to me in Thy name. Help me to remember his good counsel and advice, and to perform duly what he has rightly laid upon me. And grant him the abundance of Thy grace and favour, that his own soul may be refreshed and strengthened for Thy perfect service, and that he may come at last to the joy of Thy heavenly kingdom. Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Thanksgiving after Confession
O most merciful God, who according to the multitude of Thy mercies does so put away the sins of those who truly repent, that Thou rememberst them no more; look graciously upon me, Thine unworthy servant, and accept my confession for Thy mercy's sake; receive my humble thanks, most loving Father, that of Thy great goodness Thou hast given me pardon for all my sins. O may Thy love and pity supply whatsoever has been wanting in the sufficiency of my contrition, and the fulness of my confession. And do Thou, O Lord, vouchsafe to grant me the help of Thy grace, that I may diligently amend my life and persevere in Thy service unto the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Mr. Nelson,
I'm going to the OLOG Monestary in Silver City today.
I will remember you in my oraciones.
*
Great reminder, Terry. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI would hear confessions for hours in order to help souls be strengthened, forgiven, restored to friendship with Christ and union with the Church...it such a powerful means in growing in holiness and is a powerful protection against evil and the Evil One.
Fr Amorth, the chief exorcist of Rome, says that the Sacrament of Penance is much more powerful than the rite of exorcism, because it is Christ Himself Who imparts forgiveness, healing and restoration.
We all need to have constant recourse to this great Sacrament, in order to receive Holy Communion with the proper dispositions, to be strengthened against habitual sin(as you have so wisely counseled) and to be "washed anew in the Blood of Christ" (St. Teresa of Avila).
There is Confession...
ReplyDeleteThen there is Spiritual Direction....
Then there is THERAPY...
If you really need Spritual Direction or Therapy then an appointment needs to be made outside of standard Confessional hours, especially if there is only one priest available for one hour on Saturdays and the line is long..
I fondly recall one parish I used to go for Confession...this woman would be at the door sometimes 3 or 4 hours before Confession (so she had her place to be first)..then she sould get in the Confessional and sob and wail over her poor sins--she was LOUD and it was impossible to practice custody of the ears--you could hear her clear across the church..she would carry on for practically the entire alloted time for Confession till the priest would finally boot her out, and MAYBE squeeze in one or two more Confessions before he had to leave to prepare for the Sat Vigil..she was an individual who selfishly took up the entire time, be it for attention or therapy or whatever, and the priest should have been tough enough when he saw her coming to say, "Please make an appointment."
One priest I used to go to-- very down home super emotional Italian guy--had a rule--if your Confession will take more than 5 minutes or you're going to make me cry then make an appointment..
But what a wonderful gift the Sacrament of Confession is..I truely know my sins are forgiven, something that is sorely lacking in the Protestant churches..
God Bless.. Sara
Dear Miss Sara 3puddytats,
ReplyDeleteThe story about the lady cryer is great.
Is she still around? I’d like to invite her to my funeral.
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Terry: Words to live by in this post. Simple? Seems like it, but if often isn't.
ReplyDeleteI was 'in the box' today myself. I needed it SO bad. I feel so much better. This is love. The day seems brighter afterwards.
Te amo
Pablo--
ReplyDeleteYeah this woman would be great at funerals..reminds me of the old-time movies and a funeral scene where you had number of women dressed in black weeping and wailing over the casket..
I think she was "spoken to" when she disrupted a Sat Vigil Mass, celebrated by the Bishop no less, when she crawled up to the side altar of Our Blessed Mother on her hands and knees and began wailing and sobbing the Rosary...I haven't seen her since..
Sara
P.S. I'd forgotten how cute Nicholas Cage was back then... :)
ReplyDeleteSara
I'm not sure where this thread is going but what I am talking about here is going to confession for the forgiveness of sins - not therapy or spiritual direction. My point is the forgiveness of sins, the increase of grace and restoration of charity (lost by mortal sin) to the soul. Frequent confession is encouraged by the Church. Confession is available for penitents without mortal sin.
ReplyDeleteThe priest will advise the penitent if he/she is abusing the sacrament - it isn't up to the other people standing in line or praying in the pews to decide who really needs to go or not.
Don't judge your fellow penitents standing in line - even if you hear them crying, they look like they have mental problems, what have you. Don't limit God's grace.
Listen to what Pope Pius XII, who went to the Sacrament of Confession every day, said:
ReplyDelete"For a constant and speedy advancement in the path of virtue, we highly recommend the pious practice of frequent confession, introduced by the church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; for by this means we grow in a true knowledge of ourselves and in Christian humility, bad habits are uprooted, spiritual negligence and apathy are prevented, the conscience is purified and the will strengthened, salutary spiritual direction is obtained, and grace is increased by the efficacy of the sacrament itself."
Pablo - we are all poor sinners.
I can't understand why people don't go. It's free! I would go even if they charged for it. Confession has changed my life- dramatic yeah, but true.
ReplyDeleteI went yesterday and forgot to confess "not being nice to Larry D." Darn!
BTW, I've been scorned by priests who don't want to hear about my venial sins but generally if I can keep those in check then I don't have to worry as much about the bigger- badder sins.
ReplyDeleteTerry wrote,"Don't judge your fellow penitents standing in line"
I always judge them. I think, "These are the folks I'll be spending eternity with - the repentant sinners." Then I remember my sins and think maybe they'll be there without me. :(
Belinda - yeah some priests don't like that (penitents confessing venial sins)- some priests just don't like hearing confessions either.
ReplyDeleteI LOOOVE Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rose, too.
I'm not Italian...far from it (although I've been accused of having an "Italian temperament"...I exude all kinds of heat, as well:<)!...go figure!)
Confess all your sins, dearly beloved.
No matter what the friggin' priest may say... (Jesus, forgive me!)...let loose of everything that is on your soul and thank Jesus that He is so loving, so forgiving, so merciful...even if the priest is a "domnik" (untranslatable Slavic term here).