Things You'll Need:
- An heart open to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
- A copy of the 10 Commandments
- An examination of conscience booklet
- A couple of minutes to reflect
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Step 1
Many of these tips are found in PARDON AND PEACE, a book by Alfred Wilson, C.P. It is a wonderful book about confession, and is currently available at Amazon.
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Step 2
Wilson strongly recommends making your preparation for confession very simple. It should only be a few minutes. Of that few minutes, the majority of your time should be spent in thanking God for His mercy, asking the Holy Spirit to show you what to confess, and making a plan to avoid those sins in the future. The LEAST amount of your time, proportionately, should be spent actually examining your sins. Dwelling too long on your sins is like going to the Louvre and spending all your time looking at stains on your clothes. Why stare so long at your own stains when we have a beautiful, merciful, perfect God to ponder!
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Step 3
Quiet your heart and your mind. Think of all of the blessings that God has brought into your life. Thank Him for loving you. Ask Him to make your heart sensitive to the areas of your life where he desires reform. Ask God to help you to love Him more. Pray to the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the sins that you should confess.
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Step 4
Reflect on the 10 Commandments and read through an examination of conscience booklet.
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Step 5
If you think you have mortal sin on your soul, make sure that the sin meets these three criteria:
1. The sin was a grave matter.
2. You had full knowledge that it was sinful.
3. You gave full consent to committing the sin.
If you are unsure if the sin was mortal, then ask a priest for help when you go to confession. -
Step 6
Remember that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CONFESS EVERY VENIAL SIN. If you only have venial sin, then pick one or two sins that you most want to work on quitting, and confess those.
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Step 7
Ask the Lord to help you make a good confession. Pray to Mary and ask for her motherly help. Ask your guardian angel as well.
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Step 8
Make a plan of reform to avoid the sin in the future. What strategies will you use to seriously work on strengthening your will so that you can work on decreasing the frequency of this sin?
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Step 9
Pray for a strong resolve to avoid those sins in the future, but be humble about it. Know that you will probably fall often as you work on rooting out your sinful habits, and remember that Jesus loves you and forgives you.
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Step 10
Make sure you have a copy of the Act of Contrition before you go to confession.
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Step 11
Remember that Jesus is the Divine Physician as well as your brother. He desires to heal you through this sacrament. Go often. Don't be discouraged be people who say, "But you still do the same sins! It doesn't help!" Remember that when we are sick, we usually need many doses of medicine before we are healed. We can't give up after the first dose!
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Step 12
Always give thanks that the Lord brought you to confession. When you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to confess, it is a sign of God's special love for you.
