How Often Do You Go to Confession?

[Chrystal-J]

I've been going about once every 2 months, but feel like I should go more. One priest at my church says to go every 2 weeks, another every 6 months. That's such a wide difference, I can't be sure what to do. I know you should go if you're in mortal sin, but what if you're just in venial sin?

 

[stage five]

I've been going about once every 2 months, but feel like I should go more. One priest at my church says to go every 2 weeks, another every 6 months. That's such a wide difference, I can't be sure what to do. I know you should go if you're in mortal sin, but what if you're just in venial sin?

You go with whatever works for you.

They are basically going off personal experience. Too frequent of confession can lead to making it routine.

You are always in venial sin.

 

[Chrystal-J]

You go with whatever works for you.

They are basically going off personal experience. Too frequent of confession can lead to making it routine.

You are always in venial sin.

That's how I feel, that it will become routine or I'll be confessing the same thing over and over. Plus, I don't want to fall into scrupulosity. But, other times, I feel strongly drawn to confession.

 

[stage five]

That's how I feel, that it will become routine or I'll be confessing the same thing over and over. Plus, I don't want to fall into scrupulosity. But, other times, I feel strongly drawn to confession.

Grace and/or psychology can you lead to confession.

I had a great talk with a priest who focused on spirituality. It was on how we feel moved to an action. I don't want to quote him because it is all filtered through personal experience. I believe that in love there is a gentle nudge, a kind of pull, which we experience in good relationships. On the other side, the wrong side, there is a push. In being pushed, we are being forced and do not feel good enough. I could understand that too - since another priest talked to me about how many great people were in hell because they thought they weren't good enough.

There aren't any rules on this kind of thing. But the fact you want to follow should put your mind at ease. You might benefit from a regular spiritual confessor if that is something you are comfortable with and available to you.

 

[Chrystal-J]

Thanks for the input. I think the priest at my church now could become my spiritual confessor. He said anytime I needed to talk to him, I could. And I always feel at ease when I'm confessing to him.

 

[stage five]

Thanks for the input. I think the priest at my church now could become my spiritual confessor. He said anytime I needed to talk to him, I could. And I always feel at ease when I'm confessing to him.

In early Christianity, you confessed your "big" sins to everyone. Ireland lost contact with the rest of the Church and became very monastic. Monks began confessing all theirs sins regularly privately. They found it very helpful. When they got back in contact the practice caught on and all Christians started private confession.

It seems you really want to deepen your faith. It sounds like you found where God is leading you.

 

[Colin]

Thanks for the input. I think the priest at my church now could become my spiritual confessor. He said anytime I needed to talk to him, I could. And I always feel at ease when I'm confessing to him.

Stay with him .

You are blessed to have this priest .

Most Catholics have opted out of frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation . I have no answers to address this situation .
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says : " Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably " .

Perhaps we are living in a period when the concrete form of the sacrament is going to have to change considerably .

 

[pdudgeon]

with the proviso that i'm still in RCIA and thus haven't yet been through the experience of confession/reconciliation...
there's nothing quite so useful as a well-formed conscience.

and like every other muscle in the body, regular use of our conscience produces Catholics that are spiritually strong and healthy,
and are far better able to recognize and resist sin when it presents itself.

(so it might be better to think of confession as preventive medicine; to keep the conscience well-tuned, strengthened, and in touch with God.)

 

[Chrystal-J]

Thanks for the input all. I'm just going to go to my confessor as much as he feels I should go. (He's the one that said to go every 2 weeks.)

Here's a good article on confession:
Vatican City, Jan 13, 2016 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- God's love is offered to everyone who goes to the sacrament of confession, Pope Francis said in his new book on mercy – even those who are not able to receive absolution from their sins.

“I feel compelled to say to confessors: talk, listen with patience, and above all tell people that God loves them,” the Pope said in The Name of God is Mercy, a book-length interview of Pope Francis by Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli published Jan. 12.

“If the confessor cannot absolve a person, he needs to explain why, he needs to give them a blessing, even without the holy sacrament. The love of God exists even for those who are not disposed to receive it."

Pope Francis here referred to cases in which a person is not disposed to be absolved of their sins, giving the example of his own niece, who had civilly married a man who had not yet had his first marriage found null.

LINK: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/n...e-gods-love-in-confession-pope-francis-28553/

 

[thecolorsblend]

How Often Do You Go to Confession?

Probably not often enough. I haven't been since probably the summer 2015. I'm trying to work out a private appointment with my Confessor to hash through a few things and also handle some other business but it's been a bit tricky with our schedules.

My personal ideal would be every other month. I don't believe in New Year resolutions but what I've wanted to do is abide by that more closely beginning this year.

I've been going about once every 2 months, but feel like I should go more. One priest at my church says to go every 2 weeks, another every 6 months. That's such a wide difference, I can't be sure what to do. I know you should go if you're in mortal sin, but what if you're just in venial sin?

I'm sure everybody has a different opinion. It might help to identify some common mortal sins you're prone to (if any) and try like mad to avoid them. But if you commit one, burn rubber to Confession. Otherwise stick to whatever schedule your Confessor recommends.

That's how I feel, that it will become routine or I'll be confessing the same thing over and over. Plus, I don't want to fall into scrupulosity. But, other times, I feel strongly drawn to confession.

Confession has a way of refining your soul... and making it more sensitive. It's a nice, long spiritual shower. Though the process makes you "squeaky clean", it also makes you more aware of sin. Of "dirt". This is a good thing. Yeah, scrupulosity is something to be aware of... but then again isn't it better to be too sensitive rather than not sensitive enough?

 

[eastcoast_bsc]

I am going to plead the 5th in regards to self-recrimination. Lol
I am not against the sacrament of Reconciliation. But I have not availed myself of it for quite sometime. I do though daily, maybe hourly ask Christ and the Father to forgive me for my sins. I am very concious of my sins and pray for forgiveness.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I'm also wondering about sins that are repeated. I've heard you're not supposed to confess those. You're supposed to confess sins that you know for sure you won't repeat again.

 

[thecolorsblend]

I'm also wondering about sins that are repeated. I've heard you're not supposed to confess those. You're supposed to confess sins that you know for sure you won't repeat again.

I've never heard that. It doesn't make any sense either since it suggests that you can commit a mortal sin once, Confess and then commit it again as often as you want. Once Saved, Always Saved. But we are not Baptists.

If you ever feel weird about confessing the same sin(s) over and over, just remember it's probably better to not commit a wide variety of mortal sins day in and day out.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I was thinking about sins like drug addiction or alcoholism. (Not the case for me, but similar type situation.) Where it's a daily battle, and you're trying, but it's easy to slip up.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

My estimate is that I go about once every two to five weeks on average. Sometimes there's only one week in between.

 

[stage five]

I was thinking about sins like drug addiction or alcoholism. (Not the case for me, but similar type situation.) Where it's a daily battle, and you're trying, but it's easy to slip up.

They would be considered venial. It would be important for a person not to feel beat up over falling. A person could be capable of confessing sins they struggle with and take into account not the individual failures, but the successes in doing so.

Confession is saying these things are not who you are.

 

[Chrystal-J]

They would be considered venial. It would be important for a person not to feel beat up over falling. A person could be capable of confessing sins they struggle with and take into account not the individual failures, but the successes in doing so.

Confession is saying these things are not who you are.

I didn't realize that it would be venial. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Magnus Maximus]

I try to go every week or every other week. I got in the habit of it when I was deployed, because A combat zone is no place to have mortal sin.

I may go more than once a week if the spirit indicts me, or I feel I have slipped into Mortal sin, but normally I try not to let anytime pass if I slip into sin.

 

[jef1225]

I went through rcia and was baptized, confirmed, and first eucharist but I have never been to confession. that was always one of my hang ups as a catholic that I always felt I didn't need since I pour my soul out to god in prayer. I will probably be taking a beating from you guys/gals for it but that's just how I feel about. maybe one day I will have some serious conscience/guilt and go. but until then bless you all. I might add I don't have a problem with it. I think its my past beliefs that I haven't let go of yet

 

[thecolorsblend]

I went through rcia and was baptized, confirmed, and first eucharist but I have never been to confession. that was always one of my hang ups as a catholic that I always felt I didn't need since I pour my soul out to god in prayer. I will probably be taking a beating from you guys/gals for it but that's just how I feel about. maybe one day I will have some serious conscience/guilt and go. but until then bless you all. I might add I don't have a problem with it. I think its my past beliefs that I haven't let go of yet

To your understanding, what is the intended purpose of going to Confession?