All right, this may be a little personal, but...
I have always disliked confession. I suppose that's normal human nature, to dislike telling a total stranger what we've done wrong and actually having to own to it. Hence the necessity of confession for conversion and all that. But still. I have a disinclination for the sacrament. But, I went last week, since I hadn't been in, oh 16 months.
Now here's a question. Once you've confessed sins, you're forgiven. (well, OK, once you do your penance, technically). But what if you still feel bad about it? No, I haven't done anything bad (well,OK, that bad. Obviously it was bad if it was confessed, right?). Anyone else ever felt this way? What did you do about it?
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Well, if you still feel bad then
1. Make sure you actually DO truely believe that you are forgiven...Jesus has forgotten it.
2. Remember the sins that that you are still feeling back for having committed, and strive extra hard to never repeat them again
3. Make small acts of reparation in your daily life to God to further make up for the offence your sins have forgiven (e.g. small acts of self-denial with food for example) and ask that he take the feeling of guilt away
4. Remember your sin (though not in a dispairing way) as it will help with keeping you humble
Also, it's none of my business...but 16 months *is* a very long time.
Try going every month, and your dislike for confession will quickly go down.
If you confess sins more frequently you will recieve more graces not to comit them, and will improve in holiness much more rapidly.
Also,from a very psychological practical point of view, the thought that you are going to have to confess a sin in a few weeks time is often enough to stop you from commiting it in the first place, simply because you don't want to have to confess it!
Also, it might help if you don't think of the Priest as 'a total strnager'; think that they *are* really and truely Jesus, present in the human form of Fr. X.
But see it as an opportunity to be humble and to admit to Jesus that you know you have offended him and that you are sorry and need His grace.
Plus often Priests can give some great advice.
just my 2 cents
thanks for your honesty
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