A shameful part of my sexuality, regarding Confession

[All4Christ]

Here is an official English translation of the prayer @Wryetui mentioned:

Behold, My Spiritual Child, Christ stands invisibly here receiving your confession. Do not be ashamed, neither be afraid, and hide nothing. Rather, do not be afraid to tell all that you have done, so that you may receive forgiveness from our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, His Holy Icon is before us. I am only the witness, bearing testimony before Him of all that you shall say. But, if you conceal anything you shall have the greater sin. Take heed, therefore, that having come to the Divine Physician, you not depart unhealed.

Note that it doesn't say all sins come back doublefold...just that it is a greater sin if concealed vs confessed...and it doesn't say that all past confessions were invalid.

 

[Anhelyna]

All4Christ

It's interesting to see the difference between the Slavonic prayers and the Greek prayers. I have never heard that our sins come back doublefold, and I always heard that it was only if you intentionally held things back that you needed to confess again (and the extra confession would be only for new things as well as the sins you intentionally withheld).

I'm glad you have never heard this either - it certainly surprised me and I will be asking my Fr Confessor about this next time I see him.

Clearly anything intentionally held back is not forgiven as there was no intention of confessing it BUT if the penitent forgets to confess something he had intended to [ in the heat / stress of the moment ] it is forgiven as the words said by the penitent is along the lines of ' for all these sins and those I have forgotten at this moment ..... '

 

[Wryetui]

Here is an official English translation of the prayer @Wryetui mentioned:

Behold, My Spiritual Child, Christ stands invisibly here receiving your confession. Do not be ashamed, neither be afraid, and hide nothing. Rather, do not be afraid to tell all that you have done, so that you may receive forgiveness from our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, His Holy Icon is before us. I am only the witness, bearing testimony before Him of all that you shall say. But, if you conceal anything you shall have the greater sin. Take heed, therefore, that having come to the Divine Physician, you not depart unhealed.

Note that it doesn't say all sins come back doublefold...just that it is a greater sin if concealed vs confessed...and it doesn't say that all past confessions were invalid.

I have seen it now. I didn't know how to search for the english version so I traduced it as I could from my romanian hehe I also believed that, if you confess a sin, let's say "I have stealen" and the priest absolves you then that's it, it is absolved and erased forever no matter what, am I wrong?

 

[All4Christ]

I also believed that, if you confess a sin, let's say "I have stealen" and the priest absolves you then that's it, it is absolved and erased forever no matter what, am I wrong?

From what I've been told, once a sin is absolved, it is forgiven and is gone forever. It's not a temporary absolution with conditions attached.

If you sin that same way in the future, you should confess the new sin committed, not the previous sins that have been absolved.

 

[Anhelyna]

That's the teaching I was also given

 

[rjs330]

The word of God is VERY clear. "There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."

"If we confess,our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I like you my friend wrestle with guilt over things I have done. I have to quote those scriptures to myself to counter the whispers of Satan who wants to remind me of my failures. When God has forgiven me and holds no condemnation toward,me why am I condemning myself? I remind myself that I am a true and righteous son of God because of what Jesus has done and He lives within me and God views me as righteous because of Him. I mean on Jesus righteousness not my own. Thank God for that!

 

[Wryetui]

From what I've been told, once a sin is absolved, it is forgiven and is gone forever. It's not a temporary absolution with conditions attached.

If you sin that same way in the future, you should confess the new sin committed, not the previous sins that have been absolved.

That's the teaching I was also given

That's what I knew too, but for some reason I doubted now because I didn't understood clearly something hehe

Isn't it wonderful? I mean, the feeling, I think you guys all know that feeling, when you come from confession and you just feel as light as a bird flying on the blue sky of our Lord... Never in my life I have been as happy as after Confessions...

 

[~Anastasia~]

That's what I knew too, but for some reason I doubted now because I didn't understood clearly something hehe

Isn't it wonderful? I mean, the feeling, I think you guys all know that feeling, when you come from confession and you just feel as light as a bird flying on the blue sky of our Lord... Never in my life I have been as happy as after Confessions...

Confession can certainly be wonderful.

Church is a long drive for me, so I once scheduled confession when I would be there for the rest of the day working with many others to prepare things for the festival.

I won't do that again. Let's just say that my flying-high enjoyment of the grace was short-lived, and that was actually the best I've ever felt after confession so far. Now I try to make sure to schedule it so that nothing potentially disturbing is planned to immediately follow.

I'm selfish like that ...