WHY GO TO CONFESSION?
Two analogies for you to consider concerning Confession:
1. Imagine there is a window between you and God. When the window is clean, God can pour out His blessings and graces down upon you to work through you and with you. When you sin, your window becomes dirty, and now God can't shine His graces through you as brightly. Eventually, the window becomes completely covered with dirt to the point where you have cut yourself off from God. God wants to give you His graces but He can't. Confession is what cleans your window so it sparkles again and God can shine through you!
2. Matthew Kelly gave this analogy in his book, "Rediscovering Catholicism": How often do you wash your car, or have it washed? Perhaps once every two or three weeks, maybe once a month, but it is probably not ten years since you had your car washed! And when your car is all shiny and clean on the outside and clean and tidy on the inside, you feel pretty good about that. Driving a clean car feels different than driving a dirty car.
The next day you are driving down the road and there is a big puddle of mud right in the middle. You go around it. The day after that you think it might get cold later so you take a jacket. But you don't need it, so you put it in the backseat thinking you'll get it later. Do you? No. The next day you have to go to the doctor, so you take a book or a magazine. Once you get done, you put that magazine on the backseat of your car thinking; I'll get it later. But you don't. You go through a drive-thru to get lunch. When you are done, you put the bag of trash on the floor of the backseat and plan on taking it out as soon as you get home. Do you? Probably not.
Eventually you are throwing gum wrappers, the bulletin, and small bits of trash in your backseat. It's been several weeks since you washed your car and it's getting quite messy on the inside and dirty on the outside and you become less careful with it. Before long you are throwing big bits of trash back there. You have lost your sensitivity about it and once that happens, a big piece of trash doesn't look like much amongst the little pieces of trash.
We lose our sensitivity to sin in exactly the same way. After a while, a big self-destructive behavior doesn't look that bad among all those little self-destructive behaviors. But when you go to confession, your soul is cleansed and an inner beauty shines from within you.
1. Imagine there is a window between you and God. When the window is clean, God can pour out His blessings and graces down upon you to work through you and with you. When you sin, your window becomes dirty, and now God can't shine His graces through you as brightly. Eventually, the window becomes completely covered with dirt to the point where you have cut yourself off from God. God wants to give you His graces but He can't. Confession is what cleans your window so it sparkles again and God can shine through you!
2. Matthew Kelly gave this analogy in his book, "Rediscovering Catholicism": How often do you wash your car, or have it washed? Perhaps once every two or three weeks, maybe once a month, but it is probably not ten years since you had your car washed! And when your car is all shiny and clean on the outside and clean and tidy on the inside, you feel pretty good about that. Driving a clean car feels different than driving a dirty car.
The next day you are driving down the road and there is a big puddle of mud right in the middle. You go around it. The day after that you think it might get cold later so you take a jacket. But you don't need it, so you put it in the backseat thinking you'll get it later. Do you? No. The next day you have to go to the doctor, so you take a book or a magazine. Once you get done, you put that magazine on the backseat of your car thinking; I'll get it later. But you don't. You go through a drive-thru to get lunch. When you are done, you put the bag of trash on the floor of the backseat and plan on taking it out as soon as you get home. Do you? Probably not.
Eventually you are throwing gum wrappers, the bulletin, and small bits of trash in your backseat. It's been several weeks since you washed your car and it's getting quite messy on the inside and dirty on the outside and you become less careful with it. Before long you are throwing big bits of trash back there. You have lost your sensitivity about it and once that happens, a big piece of trash doesn't look like much amongst the little pieces of trash.
We lose our sensitivity to sin in exactly the same way. After a while, a big self-destructive behavior doesn't look that bad among all those little self-destructive behaviors. But when you go to confession, your soul is cleansed and an inner beauty shines from within you.
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How often should I go to Confession?
Catholics are required to receive the Sacrament at least once per year. However, if you are aware of having committed any mortal (serious) sin, you should receive the Sacrament. That being said, all are encouraged to take advantage of the Sacrament on a regular and frequent basis. Frequent reception helps us keep aware of our spiritual progress and provides the grace to overcome our sins.
- Taken from the USCCB website
Catholics are required to receive the Sacrament at least once per year. However, if you are aware of having committed any mortal (serious) sin, you should receive the Sacrament. That being said, all are encouraged to take advantage of the Sacrament on a regular and frequent basis. Frequent reception helps us keep aware of our spiritual progress and provides the grace to overcome our sins.
- Taken from the USCCB website
HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION
Confession 101 Part 1
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Confession 101 Part 2
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Listen to what Archbishop Fulton Sheen has to say about CONFESSION