I have not confessed for several years
I have not confessed for several years
Question:
I have not confessed for several years, so how can I enumerate all my sins throughout these years in order to confess them? And what happens if I forget something?
Answer:
There is no doubt that there are certain sins that have a special effect on your soul, which you cannot forget due to their importance, seriousness, or because they have a particular nature. These you will say as they are.
As for the rest of the ordinary and passing sins, divide them into categories and try to list them under headings, such as sins of thought and heart, sins of the tongue, sins of the senses, sins of action, sins related to your relationship with God, with people, and with yourself… Then address all these in detail. For example, sins of thought include thoughts of adultery, doubt, revenge, love of the world, judging others, envy, blasphemy, etc.
Try to remember what you did in the details of each sin. If you have committed a sin several times, mention that it was repeated many times, and there is no need to explain the details of each time separately unless there is something distinctive in some of them that troubles your conscience.
Tell your father of confession everything you remember. If you forget something, do not be troubled: whenever you remember it, confess it. And to avoid forgetting, do not delay your confessions again. And the Lord be with you. We thank God that you have returned to confession…
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