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Jul 3, 2019 · The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Confession as the Sacrament of Penance. Penance expresses the proper attitude with which we should approach the sacrament—with sorrow for our sins, a desire to atone for them, and a firm resolve not to commit them again.
In its ministry of Confession the Church makes present that redeeming power of Christ’s love, and proclaims forgiveness for sins committed after baptism. This Sacrament is the privileged moment in which the Church guarantees God’s pardon to the sinner who truly repents. Confession should never frighten us.
- Pray for Guidance. While many people think the first step to confession is to speak with your priest, it begins before visiting your church. One of the first steps is praying before confession and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you understand the sins you have committed.
- Examine Your Conscience. Once you have looked inward and determined you want to change and grow as a person, you should examine your conscience. Examining your conscience begins by acknowledging you are strong in God’s loving embrace and you trust God will take care of and provide for you.
- Express Sorrow. The only way to truly grow from your sins is to express genuine sorrow. While we are all human and make mistakes, it is important to show sorrow for these actions as a way to grow.
- Go to Your Church Confessional. Once you have examined your conscience, prayed and expressed genuine remorse and sorrow for your sins, you can go to confession.
CONFESSION: You begin by mentioning how long it has been since your last confession, and then confess the sins that are on your conscience. The priest may ask you a few questions to be sure that he understands what you are saying, or to determine the seriousness of the things you confess.
A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall where the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the typical venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, [1][2] but similar structures are also used in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic orientation.
In confession, the church believes, God judges a person in the sense of bringing to light his or her sins, by granting the person the ability to confess his or her sins to the confessor, then grants the person repentance and, through the confessor, grants the person forgiveness.
STEP 1: PREPARE FOR CONFESSION. Before going to Confession, do an examination of conscience to reflect on what sins you have committed. Say a prayer to the Holy Spirit for guidance. If you are worried you won’t remember your sins, it’s OK to make a written list and bring it with you to Confession.