Need Help For Confession Tomorrow

[havok579257]

I need help about what to do about confession tomorrow. i am a scrupulous person. An old sin has come into my mind and I don't know if I confessed it properly and then if all my old confessions are invalid.

Basically ths sin I confessed was lying to a priest when he was not in the confessional. Now that is all I said. I never went into detail about what the lie was about, I just said that I had lied to a priest while out of the confessional. So my question, is that specific enough or should I have gone into detail explaining what the lie was about, or was just stating that I lied to a priest enough? Since I choose not to disclose all the details when confessing this, does that mean the confession was invalid and all confessions afterwards are invalid?

[Brother Adam]

The Sacrament of confession requires us to list our sins by kind and number. Unless you intentionally deceived your confessor (for instance you said you lied, when in fact you actually shoved a priest down a flight of stairs) your sins are forgiven. Even if you can't remember all of your sins, they too are forgiven as long as you did not intend to withhold anything. The only time we are obliged to give details is when our confessor asks us for details. It is important to remember that confession is not necessarily spiritual direction. It can be, but what is most important is that we list our sins by kind and number, especially all mortal sins. Saying "I lied one time" is enough. God is not a legalist, he is a healer. He loves you and he WANTS YOU IN HEAVEN. He isn't going to cast you to hell on a technicality. He wants you so badly He died on the Cross for your salvation. If you have expressed your love for him in reconciliation, His grace is enough for you. You confess, God does the rest. Your sin is not greater than His love, and God wants to give you His mercy. I think often times we think of ourselves as valuable as our worst sin. If our worst sin is lying, than we say "I am a lair", but that is exactly what the devil wants. He accuses us of our sin. God frees us from the slavery of sin to be children of the Father through the King of Glory. You are a child of God.

Be at peace brother!