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Christian maiden, it is possible that you may belong to the number of those who would give an affirmative answer to the question I have just asked. You may perhaps consider confession to be a heavy burden. Then listen to me while I tell you about a Protestant who was of a very different opinion. The poet, Clement Brentano, noble-minded and gifted, had in his earlier life forsaken the path of religion and virtue he was on this account restless, discontented, and altogether miserable. He spoke of his unhappy state of mind to the pious poetess, Louisa Hensel. She was a Protestant at that time, and was not received into the Church until two years later. Yet even then she felt the Catholic ordinance of confession to be a happiness and a blessing. To Brentano she voiced her conviction in the following words: “Why do you complain of the state of your soul to me, who am a Protestant? You are a Catholic and enjoy the privilege of confession. Therefore speak to your confessor of what is weighing on your mind.”
Though not a Catholic as yet, she did not consider confession to be a burden, rather a great privilege and one which she ardently desired. Such, indeed, it is. Confession is felt to be difficult only by those who half understand it, or who do not understand it at all. In order that you may learn how to make a good confession, and may not find confession to be a difficult matter, I will proceed to make a few suggestions.
First of all, take the utmost pains to make your confession with a humble and penitent heart. Therefore always prepare yourself carefully for the reception of this sacrament. In order to achieve this end, place yourself with great reverence in the presence of God. Implore God the Father to give you strength to do penance and make satisfaction for the dishonor you have shown Him. Beseech God the Son to give you light to perceive your faults. Entreat God the Holy Ghost to kindle in your heart the fire of his love, that by means of it your sins may be consumed and destroyed.
Then quietly examine your conscience. You will find this task less difficult; it will occupy but little time if you go frequently to confession—every four weeks at least—and if every evening you think over the faults of the closing day, as every pious Christian ought to do. For this purpose is not necessary to have any special form examination of conscience. You will find one which will answer every purpose at the end of this little volume.
Take all possible pains to awaken sincere feelings of contrition. The chief thing consists in arousing contrition; upon that feeling all else depends. This ought to be no difficult matter with the aid of divine grace, which God is at such times ever ready to bestow. And surely it cannot be difficult for young people, whom the Saviour loves in a very special manner, to awaken this sincere and heartfelt contrition. Think of the incidents in the Gospel in which Our Lord gave such striking evidence of His love for the young. Remember that He said: “Suffer the little children to come to Me.” Remember how He raised the young man at Naim, Lazarus, and the twelve-year-old daughter of Jarius. Imitate the latter when you go to confession—hearken to the Saviour’s voice, for to you also He calls in accents of love, “Maid, I say to thee arise!”
He shows the same fatherly loving-kindness to you also, my dear child. How deeply ought it to pain you to reflect that you have repaid His love with black ingratitude, with indifference, and unfaithfulness!
A firm resolution of amendment must always accompany contrition. But take care never to content yourself with a merely general resolution to avoid all sins. On each occasion direct your attention to some definite and special fault into which you frequently fall.
In regard to self-accusation; you must guard yourself against a mistake into which many pious persons are apt to fall. It is by no means necessary, it is on the contrary often not advisable, anxiously to mention in confession all the little negligences and imperfections into which you have fallen. If you accuse yourself of some failings of this nature, and make a general act of contrition in regard to the rest, repenting of them as sincerely as you do of those which you have specified, then be assured that the absolution pronounced by the priest applies just as much to the latter as it does to the former.
Ought one to regard lesser sins and imperfections with indifference? Certainly not; for he who pays no heed to small faults is certain to fall before long into more serious errors. When, however, you examine your conscience previous to confession, strive to remember these lesser sins as far as you can and repent truly of them. Then do not fancy that it is absolutely necessary to recount each several item in the long list of your failings and imperfections, since we learn from Holy Scripture that even the just man falls frequently.
If you earnestly and sincerely strive after true piety and go frequently to confession, do not indulge the idea that your confession is good in proportion to the lengthy and scrupulous manner in which you accuse yourself. Nor is it so, in proportion to the length and instructive nature of the priest’s exhortation. Embrace and hold fast the following maxims. Should you be fortunate enough never, or scarcely ever, to fall into mortal sin, your confession will be all the better in proportion, not to the minuteness with which you recount all your imperfections, but to the depth and sincerity of your contrition and the firmness and earnestness with which you resolve to avoid most carefully this or that particular fault. To make your confession in this, the proper manner, can surely be not so difficult a matter, so grievous a burden.
Be particular in observing the following rules: (1) Never go to confession from habit or without previous recollection; before you go always repeat some prayer, however short. (2) Do not make your confession in a vague manner, but be definite in what you say; do not mistake temptations and evil inclinations for failings and sins. (3) Do not accustom yourself to enumerate anxiously and in detail very slight faults, which are often involuntary; you would do better to dwell upon those faults against which the voice of your conscience more particularly warns you. (4) After confession do not hurry back to your ordinary occupations, and do not be anxious to engage in frivolous conversation. Is it not right and fitting that you should express your gratitude to God for the great benefit has vouchsafed to bestow upon you?
After perusing these brief considerations, you may perchance feel compelled to acknowledge that hitherto you have been negligent in availing yourself of this fount of healing; and that, when you have availed yourself of it, your preparation has not been thorough, and the profit you have derived has been in consequence scanty and meagre. Yet do not be discouraged; say to God with childlike simplicity and heartfelt sincerity: “Thy grace, O my God, shall not have spoken this day in vain to the heart of Thy unworthy servant. From henceforth I will frequently make use of the remedy which in Thy great mercy Thou hast provided for me in the Sacrament of Penance, and I will strive to do this in a suitable manner. Grant me the assistance of Thy grace in order that what now appears to my weakness to be difficult, if not impossible, may be rendered easy and light.”
When I reflect, O Lord most high:
Who art Thou and what am I,
Thy mercy and Thy love I bless
And my own sinfulness confess.