Confession Flub

9/12/2014

Gina? Gina who?

Given the fact that I work for the Archdiocese, I know a lot of priests; worse, these priests tend to know me!

Normally, I'm totally on board with getting to know priests; they're a pretty awesome bunch! However, this familiarity works against me hardcore when it comes to Confession.

I dunno about the rest of you, but I go out of my way - WAY, WAY out of my way - to confess to a priest that will not recognize me. That is not an easy task when you work with so many of them on a routine basis. It's especially tough when your normal place to confess just happens to have two of your most well-known priests in residence.

C'mon now, Jesus, you're kidding me, right?

Every year, I go to Confession before the start of CCD. I want to be as ready as possible to teach these kids, and that includes a fresh soul-scrubbing. So as I do, I promised Jesus I'd get myself to Confession before Tuesday's class.

This past weekend, I didn't make it as a result of my own stupidity. When I went on Monday, one of those aforementioned priests greeted me at the Cathedral. Turns out he was the only one doing Confessions that day, so I immediately turned around and walked back to my office.

When Tuesday rolled around, I prayed the whole way over: "Jesus, please. I promised you I'd go to Confession, but I just don't think I've got the courage to go to Fr. Happy Meal (who happens to be in residence there). Whoever You've got doing Confessions today, please, please, please do NOT let it be Fr. Happy Meal."

I was so worried Jesus was going to specifically put him in there as an extra dose of penance via humility.

When I got there, a brand-spankin' new priest was in the confessional. Instantly, I had this realization that Jesus wants me to reconcile myself to Him... of course He'd make it easy for me to do so. Why had I spent so much time worrying I'd have to turn away again?

Silly Gina.

Ah well... at least I'm an absolved Gina now. Ha ha ha!

Do any of you go out of your way to steer clear of priests who would recognize your voice? I can't possibly be the only one!

6 Comments

Beth

9/12/2014 08:50:11 am

Ha ha, this is great. We too are blessed to know many priests and there are a few that I won't go to because of the closeness of our relationships (deathbed excluded).

That being said, we live in mission territory, so my options are limited, so we normally go to our pastor, but I always use the screen. One day during confession I was rambling about the struggles of being a mother, blah blah blah, mentioned being sure to rely on my husband (using my husband's name:)). Gasp! I said to him, with a smile "Father you aren't supposed to know who I am!!" He apologized and was mortified, but I thought it was funny, because really, we are the few who go to confession regularly and it is a small parish. :)

Gina

9/15/2014 05:03:24 am

Oh no!!! Ha ha - I bet he really did feel so terrible!

I've always wondered what I'd do if that happened to me!!!

Thanks for sharing, Beth!

Cynthia

9/13/2014 04:07:47 am

I, too, work with many priests, so I feel your pain. I would have a very hard time going to confession with any of the priests that I work with. However, I do find comfort in going to the priests in my parish for Confession, even though they know who I am. It allows me to discuss some of the more spiritually challenging problems I often face when I am at work and receive regular spiritual direction from men who understand the situation surrounding the problems.

I often have to remind myself that it's a true act of humility to go into the confessional with someone who knows who you are. St. John of the Cross actually talks about the issue in the 'Dark Night of the Soul': "Many want to be the favorites of their confessors, and thus they are consumed by a thousand envies and disquietudes. Embarrassment forbids them from relating their sins clearly, lest their reputation diminish in their confessor's eyes. (Book 1, Chap. 2)"

I also am blessed to be able to go to an FSSP parish here in my diocese, so I am able to go to Confession as often as I feel the need. They offer Confession before and after every Mass. It's easy to pop in there after Mass on, say, a Wednesday morning, to confess faults and failings that have been a struggle during the work week.

As one of my priests says, go to Confession before you have to go to Confession so you don't have to go to Confession.Sometimes I don't go to Confession for 3-4 weeks, sometimes I go every week for a few months if I'm having a particular struggle. But most of the time, I go every two weeks. I figure if Pope Francis goes every two weeks, I figure it would benefit me to go every two weeks as well.

Gina

9/15/2014 05:14:20 am

Thanks so much for commenting, Cynthia!

I love that you can go to Confession before / after every Mass. I wish more parishes offered that (then again, even they did, I dunno if the Sacrament would be utilized as often as it is at your parish).

I think your point about going to familiar priests to discuss work-related problems makes complete sense. I mean absolutely no disrespect in saying this, but priests really are a different breed sometimes (which makes sense given how set-apart they're called to be). Speaking to an actual priest about personal issues you have with other priests you might work with would likely give you a better insight re: why those priests may act / think the way they do.

Re: the St. John of the Cross quote, I would love to hear from priests about this particular issue. I've heard from three who each gave different responses.

One said that he had so many penitents that there's no way he could ever remember who said what - even if a familiar voice was on the other side of the grate.

Another said after absolution, he really couldn't tell you what he absolved for any individual person (not because there were so many, but because they no longer mattered and his brain didn't care to store the info).

And finally, another said that, instead of looking down on someone for terrible sins, he was actually humbled, himself, by the honesty of their confession and ended up respecting familiar penitents for their humility.

That last one struck me as very interesting. Those were actually the words of my pastor during one of his homilies about Confession.

:)

Whoops - now I'm rambling. Again, Cynthia, thanks so much for sharing!!! :) I'm glad I'm not alone.

Cynthia

9/15/2014 02:17:49 pm

I wish more parishes would have more frequent confessions as well. Quite honestly, one of the main reasons I started going to the FSSP parish in the first place was frequent confession times and amazing spiritual direction in the confessional. My priests offer more confession on a Tuesday at my parish than they do all week in the Cathedral in my diocese.

My priests say that they don't remember the confessions that they hear, ever. One priest says that it's a special grace that many priests have, and he's one of them. I'm quite thankful for that - it allows me to have conversations in the confessional without any worries or any fears.

If you want to hear an amazing sermon about priests in the confessional, I highly recommend this one. Whenever I get scared to go to Confession, I listen to this and feel much better about life.

http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20120916-Help-The-Priest-to-Help-You-The-Love-of-God-and-Confession.html

Dom

9/22/2014 12:52:00 pm

ALL. THE. TIME.

\I adore and cherish my favorite priest, and I HATE the thought of confessing to him. Last time I went, I HAD to go, and I thought he was my only option, and I swear, I suffered my penance beforehand just agonizing over the humiliation that I'd go through telling him the details. I had to literally force myself into the confessional, reminding myself of the value of humility all the way-and was rewardedwith a brand new priest that I'd never confessed to before. I nearly died of gratitude to God on the spot. LOL

Also he was really nice. The last time I went (which probably what was making me wait so long) the priest was SERIOUSLY cranky. I mean 'who-pissed-in-his-cornflakes' cranky, and I came out feeling like I wanted to cry.

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