Tag Archives: sacrament of penance

Death, #KobeBryant, and You

You will hear a great deal in the next few days about the early death of basketball star Kobe Bryant, who seems to have been a practicing Catholic.   It might even bump some impeachment coverage off the waves. A death … Read More

Posted in Cri de Coeur, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged , ,
24 Comments

ASK FATHER: Why can’t I confess my sins to God and not the priest?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: if god forgives sins why cant i confess my sins to god and ask god to forgive me does that suffice for confession This is one of the oldest and most common Protestant objections to the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , ,
22 Comments

ASK FATHER: A priest gave me a penance in confession that was too hard

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Long ago I went to confession and was given and reluctantly agreed to\ a rather onerous penance not required by justice. I didn’t end up doing it after thinking about it for a while and went … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Canon Law, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged ,
9 Comments

ASK FATHER: Am I still forgiven if I don’t to my assigned penance?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I saw a tweet about a question on confession.  The person said the penance she got from the priest in confession was hard but she didn’t completely do it.  She wanted to know if she was … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged , , , ,
12 Comments

What “GO TO CONFESSION!” produces

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I am inspired by your words about the importance of regular confession and preparing our soul for the end of our earthly pilgrimage, as well as your blunt Truthfulness about the pains and anguish of Hell. … Read More

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged ,
7 Comments

A revert and the power of a good confession: “I left like a new man.”

From the site of my friend Marcus Grodi, the Coming Home Network Carlos Zamora was raised Catholic, and went to confession a few times, but never took it seriously. When he returned to the Church later in life, and finally … Read More

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged , , ,
1 Comment

A priest’s prayers before and after making his own confession

From an old prayerbook for priests which I’ve had since before my ordination.  They are dense with old wisdom. Here are two prayers, in Latin and English, for priests, for before and after they make confession their own confession. I’ve … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Semper Paratus, The Coming Storm | Tagged ,
2 Comments

ASK FATHER: How to make a good confession, especially after many years

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Hello, Father. I have a request. Since you often exhort people to go to confession, and since many haven’t gone in years and have anxiety about the form it takes, what to do or what to … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged , , ,
1 Comment

Five short videos about CONFESSION from Bp. Hying of @MadisonDiocese

You might take some time to take in several of the daily videos from Bp. Donald Hying of Madison on a topic dear to this blog: the Sacrament of Penance. HERE GO TO CONFESSION! Here is the first of 5 … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged , , , ,
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ASK FATHER: The priest asked me what my penance should be

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I went to Confession yesterday, and the priest asked me to suggest a good penance for myself. I was completely taken aback. I hate vague penances like “give to the poor,” so I suggested three Hail … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged ,
8 Comments

ACTION ITEM: How you can help defend the Seal of Confession in California

Every once in a while, some legal case pops up whereby one side tries to undermine the Seal of Confession. These attempts usually go down in defeat. However, each time they are advanced, the needle is bumped ever so slightly … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, GO TO CONFESSION, Liberals, Mail from priests, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
3 Comments

Reminder to priests having the care of souls about hearing confessions: do it … or probably go to Hell.

My friend Fr. Martin Fox has a good post – directed at priests – about hearing confessions.  HERE I like his peroration… Yes, it’s hard work, especially when you’ve got lots of other things to do, and that’s certainly true … Read More

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION, Mail from priests | Tagged , ,
7 Comments

ASK FATHER: How to break the bondage of bad habits, vices?

From a priest: QUAERITUR: Father, you stated: “Create a vacuum and something else will rush in to fill it. Think of this in our human, lived experience. If you have a bad habit, you will more than likely never break … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box | Tagged , , ,
16 Comments

ASK FATHER: My mind goes blank just before confession

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have a frustrating problem that has plagued me for years without fail. Throughout the week, all my faults and sins that a I’ve committed since my last confession ruminate through my mind clearly and distinctly. … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged , , ,
11 Comments

Two object lessons in how to avoid some serious sins.

My mail box is filled – as are my instant messages – with the “news” that 20 Catholic notables issued an open letter arguing that Francis has committed heresy by word, deed and omission.  I haven’t read the letter yet, … Read More

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged ,
7 Comments

Card. Piacenza to priests: “Wanna be a modern priest? HEAR CONFESSIONS!” Whereupon Fr. Z really rants.

There is a good piece at La Bussola Quotidiana (in Italian) about the Sacrament of Penance. I’ll give you a sample, but I don’t have the energy to translate the whole thing. Prelude: Apparently there was recently something called “Earth … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Cri de Coeur, GO TO CONFESSION, Priests and Priesthood, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
11 Comments

From contact to shots fired in 3 seconds

This is the Sword of Damocles that hangs over the heads of law enforcement officers, who deserve our thanks. Here is an amazing video of how cops can go from contact to shots fired in 3 seconds. The reader who … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged ,
9 Comments

ASK FATHER: Confession before suicide

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I haven’t been to confession in a long time, and I’d like to go soon. But I’ve also been very depressed and considering suicide. So I feel like one of my motivations to go would be to prepare … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Four Last Things | Tagged , ,
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Wherein Fr. Z is disgusted

I received this from a reader, photos and text. First, some photos. It’s good to go to confession at this time of the year, please consider doing so.  If it has been many years, no worry, just ask the priest … Read More

Posted in Liberals, You must be joking! | Tagged ,
39 Comments

Priests and bishops who are probably going to Hell

There is a good piece at Crisis today about the Sacrament of Penance.  It touches on many issues, including availability of confession times, some poorly formed confessors who don’t acknowledge certain sins as sins, and the lack of support some … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
37 Comments