June 2018 SPECIAL EDITION February 2015 Issue | Page 7

February 2015

Forgiveness is Waiting For You: 8 Tips for an
Awesome Confession
By Fr. Mike Schmitz via lifeteen.com

I talk to a lot of people who feel like they might
want to go to Confession; but because it’s been a really
long time, they’re afraid they’ll do something wrong.
I always tell these people that the one thing you
can be absolutely certain of: whenever you have the
invitation or impulse to go to Confession, this is God
himself inviting you. And God is inviting you to the
Sacrament of Reconciliation for one reason: because He
loves you and wants you to
know real joy and the
fullness of His love.
I understand being
nervous though. Here are a
few tips to get you started.

you to bring in a list, go ahead and bring in a list. If the
priest tells you to stop reading from your list, you can tell
him that you will once he stops reading his homilies
from the pulpit (or the announcements, whichever
applies). Just be warned, if you do that, you may have to
confess being snarky (but that’s a venial sin at worst).
3. IT’S OKAY TO INTERRUPT THE PRIEST.

I’ve had many people tell me that they weren’t done with
their Confession when the priest
started talking and gave them
absolution, or that they
remembered something after they
had already started making their
Act of Contrition. The question
races through one’s mind: “Can I
1. GET A GOOD
interrupt him? I’m not done!” Be
EXAMINATION OF
assured, it is no problem. The
CONSCIENCE.
priest is there to be a vehicle of
Sometimes I find that
God’s love for you, and if he
adults don’t know what to
mistakenly thought that you were
say in Reconciliation
done, it is OK to let him know
because the last time they
that there is more you need to say.
went was when “I sassed
He would much rather you be at peace and say
back to my parents” was the biggest thing they had
to confess. Because they haven’t actually examined everything you have to say than to be able to offer his
own advice. Just say, “Father, I’m sorry, but I forgot to
their conscience as an adult, they are often
completely oblivious to the “grown up” sins in their mention…” Boom. Simple. And it’s done.
life. A good examination of conscience can be a
4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TELL “THE STORY OF THE
helpful tool to prepare for a good Confession.
SIN.”

At the same time, keep in mind that we are only required
After you’ve made an examination of conscience, it to confess each mortal sin in number and kind. That
can sometimes help people if they write down all of means I simply have to “name the sin” and any relevant
the sins they want to confess. There are even great details. For example, there is a difference between
apps on smartphones that help with this. I’ve heard saying, “I took something home from work that wasn’t
mine” and “I’ve been stealing things from work most
people tell me that they have had priests tell them
not to bring in a list to assist them in making a good every week for the past six months, and the total value
was $300.” There are things that affect the weight of the
Confession. The reasoning is, apparently, “You
sin, as well. I have a priest friend from Kenya who likes
wouldn’t bring in a list if you were talking with
your mother, would you?” I get that. But we make to say, “Don’t say, ‘Father, I stole a rope,’ and neglect to
lists when it is important that we remember things. mention that there was a cow attached to the rope!” It
might feel like you are rushing if you simply name the
We make a list when going to the grocery store
sin. I understand that, and you don’t need to rush. But
because it is important that we get everything for
supper. The same is true for Confession. If it helps there is something beautifully humble about simply
confessing the sin without “dressing it up” with a story.
2. IT’S OKAY TO BRING IN A LIST.

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