"Inject your soul with liberty"

At least for Roman Catholics Fridays are days of penance. Today I read an article on confession by Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble in which she asks ten priests about how to go to confession. No doubt the priests were trying to make going to confession seem welcoming and not daunting. But with all due respect, what about people, like Sr. Threresa, who go to confession and leave wondering if they've made what is still called "a good confession"?

As a penitent and not a priest, I offer some advice to people who go to confession:

Examine your conscience using a good examination of conscience and then confess your sins in kind and number. Say what you've done, how many times you've done it, sincerely tell the Lord you're sorry and promise with his help to go and sin no more. Then do your penance expeditiously.

One of my confessors, knowing how many things I have going at once used to give me my penance and stipulate I do it in the church right now before hitting the street.

Go regularly enough that every confession is not like your first confession.

If you need spiritual counseling, make an appointment. Confession is not usually the place for that, but a spiritual counseling session may include confession.

I am grateful for the late Fr Piacetelli, CM for teaching me how to make a good confession and teaching me to keep short accounts and to trust Christ's mercy and in his grace.

Last, but not least, something along the lines of what is offered in Sr. Theresa's piece: We don't go to confession to admit defeat, but to claim our victory in Christ by the power of the Spirit.

It's Friday and so our traditio is The Cranberries' "Salvation"