confess well
Under the title of How to confess well the Cardinal Angelo Comastri has placed a path for the examination of conscience, that takes into consideration the life in the modern world. Lets run to the source of Misericordy! The Holy Father has pointed out three spiritual goals to be reached for an authentic and genuine Christian life. Lets see them! 1. The sacramental confession, as a sign of conversion; 2. The fidelity to the Sunday, Day of the Lord and of the Man; 3. The solidarity towards our brothers, especially with deeds of charity towards those in need.
Receive me into Your Heart, Jesus! For my redemption, You became Man, You died and You resurrected: Your Misericordy is my hope. Forgive me, My Lord, I have sinned much!
The truth shall make you free
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart"
- Am I a Christian in my everyday life or .just on the paper?
- Is my faith genuine ad industrious o just an appearance?
- Am I superstitious? Do I believe in magic?
- When do I pray? Only in need - hen money and health are going bad or always?
- Do I curse or swear against God, the Virgin, the Saints and the Holy Things?
- Do I take part with devotion to the festive Mass, to the Sacrament of Eucharist, to the penitence and to the Catechism?
- Do I speak badly of the Catholic religion, of the Church, of the Pope?
- Are the money, the wellbeing, the carrier, the success, the fun, more important to me than God and the eternal salvation?
- The Gospel teaches us that it is impossible to love God without loving our brothers. Do I believe that?
- As a son/daughter, am I obedient and respectful towards my parents, grandparents, sisters/brothers and relatives?
- As a fiancé/ée, am I seriously preparing to the wedding, praying together with my partner and living the chastity as an education of the heart to the true and faithful love?
- As a parent, do I worry about the human and Christian education of my children? Do I give them a good example? Do I find some time to spend with them and to pray with them?
- As a husband/wife, am I faithful to the marriage and familys duties? Am I open to dialogue? Am I patient? Am I able to forgive and to feel sorry for the others, or to understand the others limits and faults?
- Do I love the others, following the steps of Jesus? Is it likely for me to criticize the others, to calumny, to envy, to be jealous, and to domineer upon the others?
- As an employer/employee, am I rightful, honest, and respectful of the rights?
- Did I respect the others life?
- Did I do abortion or suggest it to someone?
- Did I steal?
- Did I cheat?
- Did I damage public or private belongings?
- Do I drive carefully, respected my and others life?
- Do I ever wonder, in front of the Lord, what He asks me, and which is my vocation?
- Do I care about my spiritual life with the daily prayer, with the reading of the Gospel and with the hearing of Gods Word?
- Do I take part attentively and with sense of duty to the community life either on the parish or the diocese level?
- How do I use the time and the precious gifts received by God?
- Do I engage myself and my time for the others or for the weakest people?
- Do I preserve my heart, my thoughts and my body pure?
- Do I maintain pure my thoughts and desires?
- Do I scandalize others with my behaviour?
- Do I read/watch indecent books, TV shows, internet sites?
- Do I exaggerate in eating, drinking or smoking? Do I use drugs? Do I gamble?
- As a citizen and a Christian, do I attend to all my political and social duties? Do I pay taxes? Do I respect the environment? What else does my conscience reprove me?
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
If you have recited the Conclusionact of Contriction in your preparation, it is not necessary to repeat it during the confession.
The priest welcomes you and gives you a blessing. Then you confess your sins with simplicity, humility, clearness and repentance. The priest will address you some orientating and hopeful words. At the end he will give you the absolution for all your sins and he will give you a "penitence". You may ask the priest some advices and may be a guide for you in your Christian life. Lets have just one precaution: maybe, queuing outside the confessional will be other people waiting and eager as you are to have the same amount of time to confess.
Dr. Francesca Ceccarini