Random ramblings 1

I watch some of the things here at the parish and it gets my mind going off into weird tangents. I thought I'd share a few with you.

Reconciliation: I've been hearing confessions almost 8 months now and I have noticed something interesting. People's confessions seem to fall into one of 5 categories...

1) Speedy Gonzales confession - rattling off 15 sins in under 20 seconds and hoping they can exit the confessional in less than 1 minute

2) Bartender confession - talking to the priest as if they were at the bar...describing all their problems, how the ball game went last night, why they think they deserve better than what they got. These are all real things I hear and I almost feel like I am supposed to ask them, "You want beer? Bottle or draft?"

3) Justification confession - the person confesses their sins but after each one they justify why they committed that sin. These are usually in the form of "I committed the sin of ___ BUT my husband really upset me that day. I did ___ but it was a long day and I was tired." This goes on for the whole confession.

4) Sandwich sin - the person confesses their sins and inserts the worst sin right in the middle saying it really quickly thinking the priest won't catch it. For example, the person says, "I lied twice, I gossiped a few times, I didn't go to Mass on Sunday, I killed my husband, I used God's name in vain about a dozen times and I haven't prayed as much as I should which is really bothering me alot." They always seem to make that last sin the one that really is bothering them.

5) One sin confession - a person comes in and says, "its been 2 years since my last confession. I have lied a number of times. That's about all I can remember."

There are those persons who have what I consider a normal confession but they seem few and far in between. The important thing is that they are making use of the sacrament but it is also very interesting to see how they use it too. More random ramblings to come...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 07:05 | link | comments (6) |
blog

Comments:

#1  14 January 2008 - 08:24

 

Father Chris,

You are too funny...At least you are listening to their confession.

I have had a priest that was clearly inebriated at confession and one who looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

I have to say that most people are very intimadated at confession, I know I am. That is why I go to someone I don't know, it's easier that way to think they are not judging you for your sins.

Great blog,

Julie

Anonymous

#2  15 January 2008 - 08:44

 

It is enlightening to know what is running through you mind. I wonder what category I fall into.
Mom

Anonymous

#3  19 January 2008 - 07:08

 

I'm curious, do you simply absolve them or do you respond to each depending on the "type" of confession? I feel like you may have missed a category. I'll call it the "Repeat Offender". Sometimes I feel like my confessions are exactly the same each and every time. It sometimes makes me very discouraged and I'm certain that my priest knows exactly what I'm going to say as soon as I get started.

I am very grateful for our priest. In addition to Saturday, he hears confession on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after mass. This makes it very easy to go at least twice a month.

Thanks for your blog. I'm bookmarking you. It's very interesting.

Anonymous

#4  24 January 2008 - 09:15

 

Hi Fr.

I enjoyed this post! Had a real good laugh. Here's a video-link for your enjoyment: http://deo-juvante.blogspot.com/2007/08/automatic-confession.html

Keep up the good work you are doing on this blog. God bless!

Anonymous

#5  03 February 2008 - 10:54

 

I like the category of 'repeat offender' alot!!! It is, however, probably a category that everyone who comes to confession falls into in some way or another.
I do give a few words of spiritual direction to each penitent if the Spirit directs me to. Regarding being discouraged by confessing the same sins over and over, I offer this: God knows we sin by human nature and that we will repeat the same sins. He doesn't expect us to never commit a sin again rather to simply try sincerely to avoid committing that sin. All He EVER asks is that we try. That in itself draws us closer to God.
Thanks for the wonderful insight!

crossman

#6  12 February 2008 - 14:29

 

Thanks for your wonderful encouragement to "repeat offenders"

Anonymous

Comments: