Inspiration, Spirituality, Faith, Religion. - Beliefnet.com. Making A Good Confession. I was terrified. My hands were as cold as ice. What was the priest going to say when I told him that I had not been to Confession in over 30 years? By Lorraine E. Espenhain | Source: Catholic.net When I was in 2nd grade at St. On the day of my first Confession, I stepped into the dark confessional, said, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. But even as I grew older, I still didn't understand what it meant to make a good confession. When I was 21 years old, I left the Catholic Church and joined a Protestant evangelical church. But then, through a series of dreams, etc., the Lord drew me back to the Catholic Church.
I was so happy to be back "home! " Then, one Saturday afternoon, my husband walked into the kitchen and said, "I’m going to go to Confession this afternoon. " Two weeks later, the Holy Spirit began to move upon my heart concerning the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I was terrified. Before I knew it, it was my turn. Ø The Holy Bible Ø The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholic reconciliation have not been for over ten years. Why do Catholics practice fasting and abstinence during Lent?
Explain that Lent is the 40 days before Easter in which Catholics pray, fast, contemplate, and engage in acts of spiritual self-discipline. Catholics do these things because Easter, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, is the greatest holy day of the Christian year (even above Christmas) and Catholics have recognized that it is appropriate to prepare for such a holy day by engaging in such disciplines. (Archbishop Fulton Sheen noted that the Protestant attitude is summarized by the line, "First comes the feast, then comes the hangover," while the Catholic attitude is "First comes the fast, then comes the feast. ") The reason Lent lasts 40 days is that 40 is the traditional number of judgment and spiritual testing in the Bible (Gn 7:4, Ex 24:18, 34:28, Nm 13:25, 14:33, Jon 3:4).
Lent bears particular relationship to the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry (Mt 4:1-11). Abstinence from certain foods is also a biblical discipline. Virgin Mary's Seven Dolors (great sorrows) The Approved PrayersHonoring the Seven Dolors of Mary(Approved by Pope Pius VII in 1815) V. O God, come to my assistance;R. O Lord, make haste to help me.V. Glory be to the Father, etc.R. As it was in the beginning, etc. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. V. Let Us Pray: 'Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of Your bitter Passion. Novena Prayer in Honor of the Sorrows ofThe Blessed Virgin Mary 'Most holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, you stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of your dying Son.
I venerate your sorrows and I place my requests with filial confidence in the sanctuary of your wounded heart. Present them, I beseech you, on my behalf to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred passion and death, together with your sufferings at the foot of the cross. 3-Minute Retreats - Daily Online Prayer.