I went to confession today and as I walked into church it was like comming home after a long leave.
It was refreshing and to see our Lord there on the alter in the tabernacal(sp?) was an added grace.

My happiness to be back in the pew of the church however was bittersweet when I noticed that my confessor was no longer at that church, from what I was told he may have suffered a stroke and was retired. Now there are two other pastors taking his place, my SD is still at this church so I will contine to go there to see him.

Now I must look for a new confessor, there is a pastor in another church that I like, he gives me great peniances like novinas and such, not like the normal three hail marys or three our fathers like I got today from one of the interm pastors. Don't get me wrong I will say any penance as given with great reverance, but I do love novinas!

In closing I emplore you to pray for Father Gaffney.

It feels wonderful to be back in God's grace and tring my hardest to find his will in my life.

Praise God!

His Mercy endures forever! Everytime we fall, we must get up....A saint is a sinner who got up one more time than he fell...

Good news, Father Will(as many call him) said he's be happy to be my confessor.
He smiles big and goes to me, "you know where to find me"

i floated out of the confessional today. As usual. I love confession.

DiscerningSoul,

I see God is working in your life. God is so good. As Father Angelus always says. "the forgiveness of a soul it's sin is a greater miracle than the creation of the entire universe" I love that. Confession is a great sacrament and we are blessed to have it. Praise God for the wisdom he has given you.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.

I had a really good Confession this week as well. The priest was really at ease talking to me for quite a while. Praise God! Thank you Jesus for the Sacraments! w00t

You know when you go to confession to someone, maybe for the first time, and it's clear that he DOESN'T want to give you any time? Yea, that was my experience last week, so while I made A confession, I really need to go back and have a more in depth one.

I like that. Is that a quote from somewhere/someone?

Have confidence that your Confession was perfectly valid, though. You could go to a confessor whom you know will have time to talk to you, but it doesn't mean that a confessor who didn't have time or wasn't in a good mood did not give you valid absolution. The Lord sees your heart when you come and He knows what you're looking for, so don't worry about anything!

I wanted to add a little something to this as well: When our apostolate puts on retreats, we remind the retreatants that while it is good to make a full confession (take as much time as you need to confess your sins), the confessional is not a counseler's couch. It is in the sense that you go in for some sort of healing and growth, but not necessarily that you seek out counseling there. Advice and pointers from the priest after hearing your sins is one thing. Asking for counseling is quite another. If you feel you need something more than confession is intended to provide, find a spiritual director. (It's great to have your SD be a priest so that he may also hear your confession.)

And truly, I wasn't looking for a counselor, as I do know the difference between the two. But I WAS looking for a little more than what was offered. I barely got a couple of things out of my mouth when I was asked if 'that was all'. (And when I wrote a couple, I do mean 2, as in, took less than a minute to mention.)I tried to add more, but was basically stopped, told that 'everyone has troubles at this time of year' and wasn't even given a penance. Venial, yes, but these are sins, I wasn't being scrupulous. I'm not being insultatory to the priest, God bless him, truly, but I just felt that when I left. . . I guess I didn't feel like I made a complete confession.

At any rate, I feel like I'm or hijacking someone else's thread, so I'll stop here! LOL

Blessed Christmas night to you.

I know exactly the kind of priest you're talking about. Lord bless them.

that happened to me awhile ago!! i paused to gather my thoughts and he goes are you sorry for these and all of your sins? and i was just kinda like "umm yes..." and he asked for my act of contrition and was absolving me while i was saying it. (i got so confused!!) i left and i felt like "ummm so was that valid!?" in fact, i think i posted it in the Q&A section right afterward!

praise God that even when we're rushed, He knows the intentions of our heart and we are forgiven for EVERYTHING anyways!! ahhh praise Him!!

I'm sorry that happened... I have had similar experiences before. It makes me feel sorry for the priest. You wonder why they are in that frame of mind, and realize that they need many prayers from us.

Yes, they do, and I did. . .for my 'penance'. Because I felt ackward just leaving the church after Confession. . . but you know where I'll be this Saturday

Can I ask one thing about confessions? I have a confessor that I really like. I go to him every week and he is always very good in advising me to ask God to help me with certain things and in certain ways. Anyway, point is: I like him. I always have good confessions with him. And I never feel awkward.

The ONLY thing that I've never really been sure of is the fact that I never say my act of contrition there in the confessional. He always tells me to 'say a good act of contrition' there in the church and then gives me my penance and final blessing.

Anyone experience this?

The last time I went to confession was the first time the confessor has ever mentioned an Act of Contrition... It was Padre Paulo, and he asked me to say it there in the confessional, which I liked.

He's the best confessor I've been to. He's so helpful. Other times I've been I have felt a bit rushed and like I recieved a general comment afterward that sounded like it could be said to every person who came through. He got really specific and gave really great guidance.

Woot for Padre!


(Sorry... I'll take it to his phanclub now, before I get too carried away. )

Hughey,
Yep, been there, done that. I so need to say my Act of Contrition there, in the confessional, to the priest (in the person of Christ). I say the words, I lsten to the words, I "feel" the words. I am always disapointed when the priest doesn't allow me to say it. I have even asked the priest if I may say it in confession. I was told not enough time so I said outside. It's a little thing, but it's important to me.

I know that the "act" of being contrite is absolutley nessecary, but when and how we make the act is subjective. So we must be at peace even when the priest disallows the recitation of an "act".
Just a thought.
Mr. Ray

Thanks for those thoughts, Mr. Ray.

You have to say some form of an Act of Contrition for your confession to be completeted, but it's perfectly fine to say it outside of the confessional

Oooh, oooh, me, me! I've had all of the above experiences.

But what I really popped in to say was about the priest who I often go to confession to here in St. Louis. He always makes a point right before giving absolution of saying, "and now the sacrament." It's a great reminder of the power of those words of absolution!

Ok, that's all