How to make your confessions meaningful, powerful, and very beautiful.
On Friday night, my children and I discussed our plans for the next day, and determined that it was time for everyone to go to confession. So we planned on talking the next day about what to include in an examination of conscience to make our confessions very meaningful and powerful, to write them out, and to help one another if anyone requested assistance.
Because we mentioned our intentions out loud, our adversary knew where we were headed the next day.
The next morning, I woke up my fifteen year old son Nick, and he shared with me the following experience he had overnight. Nick gave his permission to share it with you:
"I had a dream that we were in California, and wanted to go to the beach, but there were sand sharks on the beach. So we had to go into a ten by ten pool, which was by the beach. It was about twelve feet deep, and I jumped in, feet first. There were suction cleaners at the bottom, and my feet got stuck to them. I started to drown. I saw my mom jump into the pool, too, and I waved her over from the bottom of the pool to come help me. She did not.
"Then, I finally got free, after about a minute and thirty seconds. I swam to the top of the pool, and when I was about to break the surface, something pulled me down. I finally broke loose of the strange force pulling me down, and rose to the surface. Then, I woke up and found that for some reason, I had been gasping for air in real life."
Nick's dream is very significant (have you had similar experiences?), and it is shared with you to point out the very real spiritual battle every one of us faces each and every day, and to encourage you to go to confession, often. There, you will obtain the graces for yourself and for others that are needed to fight the battles against the flesh, the world, and the devil, AND WIN.The sharks on the beach are symbolic of the traps we must avoid as we go about our lives, whether we are working, resting, or at play. Nick avoided the beach when he saw the sharks, and went to swim in the pool instead. But even there, he was pulled down and kept from the air he needed to sustain his life, symbolizing our adversary's attempts to "keep us down" and distance us from God.
Nick tried to signal his mother for help, but the devil wanted him to think that appealing for help to those who can be trusted is futile. He wanted Nick to feel that his efforts were all in vain, and that reaching the surface (growing in sanctity) was not worth the effort because the devil's hold on him was so strong that it was no longer possible. Nick finally broke loose of the force pulling him down, because he kept fighting hard to get away and ascend higher, to reach the source sustaining his life.
We discussed the dream, and I assured Nick, and also assure you, that the spiritual battle for our immortal souls is very real, that our efforts to fight evil and grow in holiness matter a great deal, that the people around you who are trustworthy will in fact come to your aid when you ask for help, and that our most loving and merciful God is always ready and willing to intercede for us.
A short while later, my family went out to lunch, and after our meal had a very important discussion. Make sure you have this discussion with your family, friends, classes, or congregation. We had already talked many times before about the importance of going to confession, so this time the focus was on making our confessions personal, deeply meaningful, and very powerful. American Catholics are not encouraged nearly enough to give proper consideration to what we are saying, nor are we properly educated about what to say. Most people have no concept of how necessary and incredibly powerful this sacrament is. As a result, many churches don't have people availing themselves of this vital sacrament regularly and often.
There are several reasons for this disastrous reluctance to discuss the Sacrament of Divine Intimacy. Many American Catholics, even after having made their sacraments and after having attended Catechism classes in their youth, lack an even basic understanding of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. That's why so many leave the Church; anyone who truly knows the one True Faith could never leave it. Other reasons include the very personal and private nature of confessions; no one can, or wants to, tell anyone else what to say. Another reason we know so little is because confessions are usually not shared, and so we don't learn from one another. As a result, when many do go, they sadly just go through the motions.
As a result, so much is never gained. HOW TRAGIC! Every single one of our confessions, no matter how short or long, no matter what style in which they are said or written, should be deeply personal, very meaningful, powerful, and PROFOUND. They should be life-changing. Certainly, the graces available to us are life-changing because they are strengthening, healing, restorative, provide courage, knowledge, unify us with God, and help us overcome our faults and love in greater measure.
Most of the time when confession is discussed we are told to go, be sincere and be sorry, and that's about it. More must be said to enlighten the faithful and teach others how to make this sacrament so much more beneficial to us as we also obtain much needed grace for others.
No two confessions are ever the same. Styles vary from person to person, and for various reasons may even vary from time to time with the same individual. Examinations of conscience will vary depending on individual penitent's age, abilities, and spiritual level. Guidance should be given to others in developmentally appropriate language/ways.
There are many right ways to approach one's confession, and the key is to examine one's conscience with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, be open to God's will, go regularly and often, and be obedient to one's confessor.
Pay particular attention to Who you are speaking to in the confessional (God), what you are saying, and how you are saying it. Make your confessions deeply personal, meaningful, and very powerful! Together with Jesus, make them extraordinarily beautiful.
The devil absolutely doesn't want you to know this, but as you grow more unified to our most loving, compassionate, caring, and merciful God, you will find yourself absolutely loving going to confession. Who wouldn't want more of so much of our Triune God's goodness!
Late that afternoon, as we drove to the church, the devil's assaults began anew and he bombarded me with tremendous anxiety. He absolutely did not want us to go to confession!When this happens, the most important thing to do is to pray to God for the grace to persevere, and KEEP GOING! Do not avoid going to confession when such an assault occurs. Such an assault is an indicator that great good will be accomplished because of your efforts! Pray to Blessed Mother for her help, and proceed to the church.
My confessor, Father Ben, stated something very powerful and very important in his homily last week and encouraged us to share it. In Matthew 7:13 we are told to "Enter through the narrow gate." Father referred to the width of this entrance, and explained that it is as wide as the confessional door. "Go to confession often," he said.
While waiting for your turn in the confessional, especially if you are experiencing the assaults of the devil, pray to the Holy Spirit to help you make a wonderful confession, and repeat as often as necessary, "God, Your grace is sufficient."
My confession is presented here as an example to help you make your confessional meaningful, personal, and very powerful. Worth noting is what was said at the Lord's recommendation to release our adversary's grip on our souls when he tempts us to hate others. Read on (that text is in bold).
And to learn more about what you need to know to fight the spiritual battles and win, visit:
Parts I - IV: Tired of Being on the Defensive Against the Devil? Launch a Spiritual Offensive Instead (also includes: Do You Know What Weapons You Need to Fight the Spiritual Battles Against Evil and Win? Perhaps Some of Them May Surprise You; Suggestions for Making Your Confessions More Powerful, Intimate, and Meaningful; The Sacrament of Reconciliation, Penance, Conversion, Forgiveness, Divine Intimacy, Christ's Peace, Healing, Humility, and Catholic Courage).
God is at work in you!
Discover or Rediscover the Sacrament of Christ's Peace
Sign of the Cross. Bless Me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was two weeks ago.
Lord, this is entirely inadequate, but You know the shape I
am in; our adversary is all over me, and
I feel like I’m going to throw up. That
means it is very important that I am here, and Your grace is sufficient, so let
us begin. (God did provide His grace, and I continued in peace).
My most loving, merciful, ever present, and all powerful
God,
I am here to love You in return with all my heart, to submit
to Your most perfect will, to ask for Your forgiveness for my many
transgressions, and to beg for the grace to overcome my faults.
I am very sorry, Lord, for my worldly, self indulgent, self
centered, prideful, stubborn and self absorbed nature, my lack of fraternal
charity, for the times I still hold back from loving you as much as I
should. I apologize for avoiding You in
the evening; You have asked why I am doing that, and I don’t know why that is,
because I love being in Your presence and am so grateful for all You show me
and teach me. May I reserve none of this
goodness for myself; help me to clearly
know Your will moment by moment , so that I accomplish all that You ask.
Help me to empty myself of my pride and my own will, so that
You are able to work within me and through me entirely at Your good pleasure.
I apologize for being judgmental, for allowing negative
thoughts to pass from my lips, and for the times that I have spoken to others
harshly.
The devil is relentless in his assaults and has focused on
tempting me to be impatient, to absolutely hate people, to give up the work You
have assigned, and tries so hard to tempt me to impurity. His physical attacks have been severe, as
are his attempts to exhaust me, and his temptations can only be overcome by Your
grace. You have said that You are
present through it all, and allow all this for good reason. I trust in You, Jesus, and thank You for
everything.
As I beg for mercy and Your forgiveness for offending You,
and for all the times I have hurt others by my actions, I now forgive all those
who have ever hurt me, and ask You to forgive them, and shower them with Your
divine graces and love. Let there never
be any bitterness in my heart, and let me never hold anything against
anyone.
Forgive me, sweet and gentle Jesus, and cover my soul and
the souls of all my brothers and sisters with Your Precious Blood, and save us
from the wickedness and lures of the devil.
Please convert all sinners, assist the dying, and release the suffering
souls in purgatory, especially Belinda if she is there, and the most forgotten
souls, the most wicked, and the souls of those who were most faithful to You.
Thank you, almighty God, for so much goodness that is so
freely given, for sending us to this parish, for the gift of life; please convert everyone who is pro-abortion,
and I ask You to guide the hand of every person voting so that everyone chooses
to defend life and liberty, and votes in imitation of Christ.
May I never stand in Your way, block your action through me,
or offend You, most loving and gentle Jesus!
May I always accept Your graces and always be grateful. Please do not let any of this precious
suffering be wasted because of my imperfections. Again, I give myself entirely to You, and
promise to love and honor You, all the days of my life.
Act of Contrition, Absolution, Sign of the Cross, lots of joy. Thank you, Father!
