If your confessions are not absolutely ROCKING THE GATES OF HELL, then you need to know more about how to make powerful confessions! Suggestions for Making Your Confessions More Powerful, Intimate, and Meaningful
Fall in love with the Sacrament of Reconciliation! How important is this Sacrament for our
souls and for the souls of others? The very last time she went, the devil
harassed her so badly while she waited for her turn that by the time she was
finished confessing, she felt like throwing up.NEVER give in to the many ways the devil tries to stop us from going to Confession. He knows the tremendous, immeasurable value it has for our souls!
When she first began going to confession more often with her family, encouraged by the loving promptings of our merciful Lord to receive His graces in greater abundance, the resistance from the devil was immediately felt. Thoughts came to her several hours before her family was to leave for the church that one Saturday each month. At first she did not recognize their source, but she wants you to know that receiving Holy Communion daily has gained for her the ability to recognize when it is the devil who is speaking.
At first the suggestions from the devil included:
"You're so busy. Don't go. God will understand."
"You try so hard to be good. You don't have to go today. Go later."
"You don't feel too well right now. You better stay home."
"God knows how many challenges you face. You don't need another one. Stay home and rest."
Another strategy:
"People think you are crazy."
"Don't go; see what people think of you?"
Can you see through the deception? The devil tries to appear compassionate when his goal is to keep us from going to the Sacrament of Confession. When that doesn't work, he will fight nasty.
He tries to use our weaknesses against us. He even tries to use our strengths against us, to keep us from the sources of grace we need to fight the spiritual battle, which mind you is very real, to keep us from becoming holier, to keep us from being fine role models to our family, friends, and others, to stop us from pointing others toward the Sacraments, to get us to sin so we become distant from God, and to sabotage our efforts to grow closer to our most loving Creator.
No one is immune from the evil influences of the devil, but God provides all the grace we need to win the battles.
At one point, the Lord encouraged her to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at a parish He identified by name. Both the Lord and she knew that even though she had been receiving the Sacrament more often, no spiritual progress was being made where she had been going to confession. She obeyed the Lord, and in a short time, the spiritual progress had been tremendous.
That made the devil even angrier. If he knew when she was going to confession because he heard her tell someone, the assaults the day and night before would be bitter, especially during the night. Often they were the most intense around the time of a special feast day, such as Pentecost and Divine Mercy Sunday, although not all our adversary's behavior is predictable. However, it is very helpful, for the angrier the devil gets, the more good is being accomplished and the more progress is being made.
And so the assaults have become a type of spiritual gauge.
She began loving going to Confession so much, and learned so much more about this astonishing Sacrament that her examination of consciences became love letters written out in advance following prayer to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment.
In essence, the Author of Love extends His love to His beloved, who then returns this love to its very Source. It is all so very loving, the whole process of recognizing God's love and mercy, recognizing ones self as being unworthy and yet loved and valued beyond measure nevertheless, apologizing to God for having offended Him who is all goodness and compassion, asking for His forgiveness, receiving it, pleasing the One who is constantly courting us, and growing in closer union with the King of all kings!
God is so in love with us.
One Monday morning she pulled into the parking lot of the church, and had planned on going to confession on Wednesday, but the devil assaulted her so viciously right there in the church parking lot that she headed right for the chapel and prayed until confessions began. Then, she rushed in!
Once, in the evening the night before she was to go to confession, the assaults began especially early. So many thoughts flooded her mind, encouragements from the devil to not go to confession the next morning. They were very clever, and sinister. They were almost overpowering. They played upon her emotions, and were extremely convincing. God's grace won another victory for her soul, she resisted, and the next morning went to confession, after having heard the pleadings of the devil all the way to the church, "Don't go! Don't go! DON'T GO! Leave that parish. LEAVE THAT PARISH!"
That is why we must avail ourselves of the Sacraments, worthily, and often. We need God's grace to resist the cunning of the devil. We need to beg for God to give this grace to others, especially those who do not understand this yet.
Real progress was being made in the confessional. It was absolutely stunning and delightful. This truth was reinforced by the devil, who at one point wanted to knock in the teeth belonging to the mouth that professed her sins and asked for mercy and pardon for herself and for others.
Discover or rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and do not delay.
An Examination of Conscience
My Dearly Beloved King,
I am so happy to be here, so grateful for this precious
opportunity to reconcile my poor self with You, to thank You for everything, to
apologize for my sins, and to ask for pardon for myself, and for all my
brothers and sisters in need of Your saving grace.
You never fail to respond to the soul that asks to be
enlightened by Your Divine Majesty, and I thank You for showing me how much
work remains to be done in my soul. Thank You for Your persistence in working with
me, for without You, I am nothing.
I apologize for my selfish and self-serving nature, for the
times I have been impatient, prideful, arrogant, stubborn, so uncharitable, for
seeking comfort in too many sweet drinks that are not healthy, for my great difficulty concentrating during
my prayers, for the times that I have not reverenced You as I should have, for
the time over the weekend when I spoke cavalierly with someone about Your most
perfect plans, for the many unkind things I have said, for the times that I
have been judgmental, unforgiving, and resentful.
I am sorry my Lord and Ruler of my life for the time I swore
the other day in reference to a difficult, hateful person in front of my
children and set a very bad example, and offended You with that language and lack
of respect for her great dignity as Your daughter. I apologize for speaking the other day in a
way to someone who is very mean in front of my children that was ironic but
also at least a little spiteful while I enjoyed the moment. Please give me the grace to never lower
myself in response to other's bad behavior, and to never be the reason for
anyone else's sin. I understand You are
allowing me many opportunities to practice self mastery because I still have
such a long way to go to acquire it; please keep
working with me and together, let’s get there.
I apologize for the time three weeks ago when I made
something a bigger deal than it was in a public place, and even though my
argument was justified because we had been cheated, I failed to remain humble
and for that I was wrong and I am sorry.
As You said afterwards, You will make it up to me, and I know You always
do, and thank You for allowing that whole chain of events to occur so that You
could show Your daughter many important things that will bring Her into closer
union with You.
Let there be no distance between us, my sweet and gentle
Jesus!
I apologize for the things that I said, did, or didn’t do
that set a bad example for my children, my friends, for strangers, and for
those who dislike me because they have neglected their friendship with
You. Keep me close to You, dear Lord,
and please allow me to receive the Sacraments often.
I need You.
© Joseph Karl Publishing
