A Guided Examination of Conscience

This is a beautiful story of Dr. Bergsma's conversion to the Catholic Church. Dr. Bergsma relates how he had a desire to go to Confession one day and pulled into the local Catholic Church. Not unusual for those who are Catholic, but for Dr Bergsma, who was a Protestant minister at the time, it was definitely out of the ordinary.

It is evident in this video that Fr. Casey Cole has a great love for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. One of his disappointments is that some who come to to Confession have not been given proper formation in how to make a good Confession.

Because the confessional is not always conducive for instruction on "How to make a proper Confession", Fr. Casey has created Tik Tok videos featuring seven different common ways people can misuse the sacrament.

The videos are exaggerated scenarios where Fr. Casey plays the priest hearing Confession and the penitent individual. What is most clearly expressed in this video is Fr. Casey's deep love and respect for those coming to Confession and his hope that all who come to the sacrament can experience God's amazing love for them.

Key Takeaways

• Fr. Casey desires to "teach" and "form" individuals in the proper use of the Sacrament of Confession

Some ways people do not use the sacrament properly:

• List - Individuals can come to Confession with a long list of sins without much evidence of contrition for any of them.
• Burying the Lede - There are some who hurriedly squeeze a serious sin between two venial sins without giving an indication that there's a difference between the two.
• Confessing everything as mortal - Not all sins are serious. It is important to know the difference between the two.
• Scrupulosity - The frequent, habitual use of Confession is usually an indication of a mental health issue. The CCC #1393 and 1394 show how our sins are expiated through our reception of the Eucharist at mass. This may not be enough for those who suffer from obsessive, compulsive disorder, but it may give some comfort to them.
• Vagueness - Confessing that you have broken commandments 1, 5 and 8 is not enough information for the priest to understand what you are struggling with.
• Naming other's sins - Confession is about your relationship with God. It is not meant to be a time to discuss the faults of others.
• The Rambler - Confession is not the time to discuss theological questions or sorting out how you feel about things. It is always about confessing the ways in which you've failed to love God.
• Welcome Home - It it clearly shown how much having someone return to the Sacrament of Confession means to Fr. Casey in this last short Tik Tok video. True contrition is a joy to see.

Questions for Reflection

1. Did any of the videos make you think of the way you go to Confession?
2. Were you convicted by any of the videos?
3. Will viewing these videos help you think about how you approach the sacrament the next time you go?
4. Can you sense how Fr. Casey feels about the Sacrament of Confession?

Fr. Michael Nixon discusses the authority of priests to offer forgiveness of sins through the ministry of the Church.

Jesus gave His disciples the power to forgive sins when He breathed His Spirit on them after the Resurrection. Through apostolic succession, each priest has the same power entrusted to him. This gift was given to the Church so that the forgiveness of Christ can go out to the whole world.

Through this power and authority of Jesus, we are absolved of our sins. Reconciliation between us and God and the community is obtained.

Key Takeaways

• Christ established the Sacrament of Reconciliation to bring forgiveness to the world.
• Priests represent Christ.
• Authority to forgive sins is lived in and through the priest.
• One person's sins affect the whole body of Christ.

Questions

1. Do you believe in the authority of priests to forgive your sins?
2. Why is going to a priest to confess your sins different than just saying them to yourself?
3. What do you think of the reality that our sins harm the Body of Christ?

The Sacrament of Confession is scriptural. When we confess our sins to a priest, we are obeying Christ and how He envisioned us relieving the burden of our transgressions. If we are a follower of Christ we do what He asks us to do!

Chris gives us four main reasons to go to Confession. Some of the reasons he suggests are ones that are not typically mentioned : psychological health, going straight to God instead of relying on ourselves , making sure our serious, mortal sins are forgiven and healing our community through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There is so much packed into this short video you may have to watch it several times to catch it all.

Make sure you're taking notes!

Key Takeaways

• The devil is a liar. His desire is that our sins would fester in our heart, harming us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. When you confess your sins, you are removing their power over you.
• When you go to Confession you are going straight to Christ himself. The priest is "In personaChristi", in English, " In the person of Christ". Professing your sins to Christ is preferable to saying them to yourself in your room.
• Mortal sin breaks the friendship we have with God. If we desire to restore this relationship we must seek absolution from a priest. We can be sure of this healing when we hear the words the priest speaks during the sacrament.
• The only way to heal the damage we have done to the community when we sin is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
• My relationship with God does not depend on my perfect love for Him but on His perfect love for me.

Questions for Reflection

1. Were any of the reasons Chris mentioned for going to Confession new to you?
2. What do you think about the words the priest speaks to you in the sacrament? Did this video give you a greater appreciation of what is said in Confession?
3. What do you think of the concept that Christ died to give us grace and mercy? Do you think of that reality in relationship to the Sacrament of Confession?

In Fr. Nixon's first video on Confession, he explains where the authority of the sacrament originated. Jesus has the power to forgive sins and He passes this ability on to His priests. In this video he examines some particulars of the sacrament.

A priest may never break the seal of Confession. He is forbidden to discuss any particulars of what he has been told by the penitent. He assures us that priests do not remember the sins they have been told. After hearing many Confessions, a priest will not be scandalized by our sins.

In Confession we name what we have done. Declaring it out loud is in an important step in the healing process. The wound has been opened and can now be cured.

Key Takeaways

• Your sins are not that interesting.
• The priest rejoices with those who are coming to the sacrament.
• We are good at deceiving ourselves, that's why it's important to confess our sins.
• When we claim our sins, God can bring His grace, His mercy and His healing to our soul.
• When we hide our sins they fester.

Questions for Reflection

1. Have you ever been healed of a sin you were afraid to confess and felt the relief afterwards?
2. Did you realize how serious the seal of Confession is for a priest?
3. Are there things in your life you blame others for, but you know they are a result of your own failings?