Confession

[praying4carmel]

FFB,
I realize I don't know you, and it is not my intent to "tell you what to do"!
To me, just the fact that you posted and were so honest in your post shows me that God is Leading you, and is with you. I admire your courage to post.

You have some wonderful friends here as well, who have given some great advice, and who know you personally. What a Blessing!

Welcome to your Baptist friend, God is Love! Because He IS!

P4C

[Saint Therese]

I think there is a difference between BEING sorry for your sins and FEELING sorry. I would think that generally speaking(of course there are exceptions) a person who makes a good confession is sorry for their sins even though they might not feel it. I've found that mediating on the Passion of Jesus is very useful for increasing my sorrow over my sins. However, I think the most important thing is not necessarily that we FEEL sorry for our sins, but that our wills be converted. I think to rely on feelings is not to build your house on sturdy foundation.
But that's just my o-pinion.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Saint Therese

[Ziggamafu]

For the past few months at least, I have been given the gift of perfect contrition on an almost constant basis. I prayed for this gift for something like a year and then it just kind of swelled up in my soul; when I fall into lust, tedium, or gluttony (probably my "big three" lizards on the shoulder), I immediately say an act of perfect contrition and mean it. The trick - I know - is muscling up enough of this contrite attitude before I sin rather than after, I know, and sometimes I'm able...other times, not so much.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I relate. My answer to your actual question involves how I stumbled into receiving the supernatural grace of perfect contrition. It involves two steps: the honest recognition, according to your faith, that apart from God's grace you would be Hell-bound. It is because of God's omnipotent omnibenevolence toward you that you need not be Hell-bound; his grace in the sacraments is sufficient. Nevertheless, you must cultivate an awareness that you do not (on your own) deserve any of the good things that you have in life. God does not love you more than the starving child-slave in some Hellish area of the world.

The second step follows, simply. If you do not deserve any of the good things that you have and it is under God's power that they have been given to you, then identify the one good thing in your life that you love / appreciate more than anything else and let that be your secret to perfect contrition. My secret is my children and, occasionally, nature.

Whenever I must approach God seeking forgiveness, I realize that instead of the Hellish life I deserve apart from God's grace, I have two beautiful children and some beautiful trees to look at. When I meditate on this, I feel deeply sorry and guilty for my sins, not arousing from a fear of Hell but rather from a realization that I've offended a God who is so, so, good to me. Sometimes I hurt so badly over having hurt my Lord that were it not for my faith that he truly wants me to return into his arms in Confession, I might willingly accept the pains of Hell as an eternal penance, still loving him through all the flames.

Summary:

Look at a crucifix and read the parable of the Prodigal Son and meditate on how greatly God loves you and lavishes his graces upon you. Think of how good you have it, no matter how bad others might think you have it (at the very least, you're alive and are aware of the Gospel!).