When facing spiritual struggles, the Sacrament of Confession can be a powerful remedy. God eagerly awaits your plea for forgiveness! Whether you’re returning after a long absence or frequenting weekly, delving deeper into the graces of this sacrament is always beneficial. Dive into Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Ultimate Guide to Confession, addressing all your questions about this sacrament and healing your relationship with God.
Do I Need to Go to Confession?
The first question you might have is whether you need to go to Confession at all. Why do we have to confess our sins? In this video, Fr. Mike encourages and challenges us to see the Sacrament of Reconciliation not as a burden but as a gift from God.
Making a Good Confession
If you have ever wondered how to make a good confession, Fr. Mike Schmitz has some solid advice for you in this video. In this video, he offers 4 powerful ways to examine our consciences so that our reconciliation experience moves us toward the holiness God calls us to.
Going to Confession for the First Time in a Long Time
Has it been a long since since you’ve been to Confession? Maybe you need some help to prepare. What should you do? Fr. Mike is here to help! He understands that Confession can be a very daunting experience, but God is ready and willing to forgive your sins.
Is My Confession Really a Secret? (The Seal of Confession Explained)
In this video, Fr. Mike explains what the “seal of confession” is. He helps us understand the sacred duty of a priest to never reveal what is said in the confessional. The Church takes this sacred responsibility so seriously, that any priest who breaks the seal of confession is automatically excommunicated.
The Miracle of Confession
Fr. Mike delves into the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the miracles that happen each time we go. He explains where the Holy Spirit shows up during this sacrament, reminding us of our sin and restoring our conviction that God is offering us his forgiveness.
Want to know the secrets to a powerful confession?
The Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a beautiful, prayerful book by Fr. Mike Schmitz & Fr. Josh Johnson which helps Catholics enter into the Sacrament of Reconciliation more deeply.
3 Reasons You Still Feel Bad After Confession
Have you ever left the confessional still feeling guilty? We know that we are forgiven, so why does this happen? In this video, Fr. Mike identifies 3 reasons why we might be experiencing a lingering feeling of guilt after Confession, and he gives us a bit of advice to deal with those feelings.
Can I Go to Confession Over Zoom?
Going to Confession over Zoom sounds more convenient and perhaps even a little less scary, so why do we have to go in person? Fr. Mike explains why despite an increasingly digital age, we can’t receive this sacrament digitally. He reminds us that we are a body and that the Lord uses our physical humanity in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Are Your Sins the Same Story Again and Again? Rewrite the Script.
Do you commit the same sins over and over again? Are you tired of confessing them? Fr. Mike gives us some novel ideas for steering hard out of the “grooves” of sin we’ve worn deep into the bedrock of our daily lives.
Can I Sin on Accident?
As you prepare for Confession, you might find yourself struggling to figure out which sins you should confess. Can we commit sin without knowing it? Here Fr. Mike explains the 3 elements that must be present for an act to be a sin. This video will help you determine what you should and should not confess.
Father Mike Responds to “General Absolution”
Have you heard of “general absolution”? Is it a way to skip the Confession line and get “bulk forgiveness”? Fr. Mike dispels the confusion around general absolution and redirects us to the true source of reconciliation that Christ has given his Church.
Why We Have to Attend Mass and Receive Communion in a State of Grace
This video helps explain the beauty and importance of the state of our souls. Communion with God is only possible once we have been reconciled with God and his Church. That is why Confession is so important. If you want to receive God, going to Confession is the first step.
Forgiveness is Not the Same as Reconciliation
What does it mean to be “reconciled with God”? This video offers great insights into the process of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. Fr. Mike explains how God offers all 3 stages to us in the Sacrament of Confession.
Why Is It So Hard to Forgive Yourself?
As Catholics, we believe in the forgiveness of our sins through the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We know God forgives us. Why do we sometimes struggle to forgive ourselves for our past faults and failings? Sharing insight into the main reason why we struggle to let go of the past, Fr. Mike offers encouragement and support.
Regret vs. Repentance
There is a difference between regret and repentance, and this video will explain what it is! It’s okay to regret the things we’ve done in the past that took us away from the path of God, but we can’t dwell in this regret.
Healing from the Wound of Sin
Our sins can leave a wound, even after we confess them. It can take time to move on from decisions and actions we made in our past. Fr. Mike helps us work through the pain of our sins and shows us how we can find true freedom and joy in our relationship with God.
Were these videos helpful? Would you like more from Fr. Mike Schmitz? Subscribe to our Ascension Presents YouTube channel for all new content!
I have been asking God for inspiration to believe in Him and salvation for a few years, but I feel God is totally ignoring me. I am close to feelings of DEEP depression and am feeling lost and unloved. What am I to do? I need psychological help in the worst way.
Pray to our Mother Mary! She will guide you Jesus as take care of you.
Know that I am praying for you as well.
Peace of Jesus be with you!
Thanks Fr. Mike for helping us all on our Christian journey!
Thank you for your hard work!
Thank you Father Mike.. I needed to know about the Litany of Humilty today.
Okay, this probably sounds bad, but I don’t really feel like I have anything to confess. I don’t get it that some go to confession weekly or monthly. what is up with me?
Find a good examination of conscience. You will be surprised how many times we sin everyday (do you ever get impatient while driving? Drop something on your toe and let a swear word slip? Talk uncharitably about someone? Tell a little white lie? Argue with someone? ). Even if we only have venial sins, we should confess often because we get sacramental graces that will help us avoid even these lesser sins. You would be surprised how often we really do sin when you examine your day thoroughly. Original sin inclines us toward sin so it comes easy to us without the help of grace. The Grace from confession is powerful.
I hold this guilty feeling of sins against chastity that I’ve committed in my younger years; but I’ve confessed to a priest more than once, and I’ve been forgiven, I know this, yet the feeling is still there. I was once told that if I can’t forgive myself I think I’m greater than God but I still can’t get away from the feelings I have. Is this the ‘pride’ you’ve talked about?
hvmnyskls@lusfiber.net
Is missing mass or a holy day of obligation a mortal sin and prevents me from receiving the Eucharist? Or can I confess to God during mass that I missed Mass last weekend?
It’s a mortal sin and needs to be forgiven in confession before receiving holy communion again 🙂
I have been trying to get an answer that no one wants to give me. Why are we the only ones that go to confession and all other religions don’t and still, they have communion?
I want to go to confession, but I know, I would repeat the same sin. Being a knights templar, I am not supposed to sin.
I think the”communion” you are referring to by all other churches and Christian denominations is very different from that of Catholicism.
When an ordained Catholic Priest says the words of consecration, Jesus’ actual words from the Last Super, over the bread and wine, they actually and truly change into His, Jesus’ body, blood, soul and divinity.
No other Christians believe this as far as I know. This is what Christ was talking about in John 6. This is how he gives us His own body and blood as “true for and true drink” to have everlasting life within us.
To do so, we must not have any mortal sin on our souls or we commit a sacrilege. Confession, done validly, removes the mortal sin and disposed is to receive worthily this most necessary and previous gift of Jesus Himself, God into our beings.
Venial songs are forgiven in confession and also at Mass when we enter the church and bless ourselves with Holy Water, pray the confietor (I believe in God…) and I believe when after Consecration when we the Priest hold up the Sacred Host, NO LONGER BREAD, and prays … blessed is he who is called to the support of the Lamb and we respond, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only day your word, and I shall be healed”.
Confession removes all mortal sin (when confessed) and all venial sin and this, along with participation at Home Mass prepare is to receive Jesus/God into ourselves.
All the other denominations are just “remembering” Jesus sacrifice on Calvary while we”participate” in it.
Can we go to confession first or do we have to do a class to be able to confess. I am not a catholic
I am not married by the church, but I am married by law. Can i still go to confession even though I am not able to receive. ( i have all my sacraments but my husband doesnt).
I wish it wasn’t video’s rather read….video’s make me nervous
Do we go to confession every week to receive communion?
Not unless you have committed a mortal sin. Receiving the Eucharist actually absolves us from venial sin, but mortal sin must be confessed before receiving the Eucharist. Confession is required once per year, but off course it is much healthier for us, both spiritually, and mentally, to receive it more often. God bless!
The church teaches go to confessions once a year however we are encouraged to go at least every month or more
Who can remember all their sins in a year . A great priest once said an average holy person since 7x a day
The only way you can receive communion is by not having a grave sin so you can only receive if you have been to confession before
Only if you are in a state of mortal sin.
I’m asking a question on behalf of my late husband since I worry. My husband was a convert. He had previously been a Lutheran. He was not a person that could accept rules let on confession. I think he went once. He was a good man who cared very much much about the poor, especially those who were hungry. He actually was a manager of the food stamp program because of his strong feelings over this. He always went to Mass with me since I was an accompanist. That is asking why he converted, He always prayed and felt his relationship with God was the most important thing. He was a very friendly man and most people liked him very much because he made them comfortable and he made them laugh. He just had his own ideas about religion. He told me when he was a child he saw Jesus! It was after 2 suicide attempts of his mom. Long story short, he went to Mass and loved most people except the haughty judgmental types.
I think he he’s in heaven. Am I right?
You only need to go to confession is you’ve committed a mortal sin. If you’ve only committed venial sins you don’t need to go to confession. An act of contrition covers venial sins.
I tried to euthanize my dog to save him from pain but I was also upset at him for some of his behavior. He stayed alive for one week during which time I tried to make it right but could not. He passed today and I am beside myself. I am sorrowful beyond measure and plan to go to confession but feel that this sin is unforgivable.
Where can I find a GOOD examination of conscience? I am 65 and single and the ones I find don’t apply that well to me.
Have I doubted or denied God’s existence?
2. Have I been ungrateful to God for His benefits?
3. Am I open to God’s will?
4. Do I rely solely on myself and not on God?
5. Have I abandoned the Catholic Faith?
6. Have I joined a non-Catholic church or anti-Catholic group?
7. Have I refused to believe any truths of the Faith or any teachings of the Church?
8. Did I fail to profess or defend the Catholic Faith?
9. Have I failed to go to confession at least once a year?
10. Have I been faithful to my daily prayers?
11. Have I practiced any superstitions?
12. Am I unwilling to turn away from everything that is opposed to God’s work in my soul?
“You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.”
13. Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain, for example, carelessly, in anger, or surprise?
14. Do I speak irreverently of holy persons, places or things?
15. Have I cursed myself or others?
16. Did I use profanity?
17. Have I called down evil upon anyone or anything?
18. Did I get angry with God?
19. Have I angered others so as to make them curse?
20. Have I broken a vow made to God?
21. Have I murmured or complained about God?
“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.”
22. Did I miss Mass on a Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation?
23. Did I arrive to Mass late or leave early?
24. Did I receive Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?
25. Have I been irreverent while receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament?
26. Have I been willfully distracted during Mass?
27. Do I distract others during Mass?
28. Have I done unnecessary work on Sunday?
“Honor your father and your mother.”
29. Have I disobeyed, insulted, or shown disrespect to my parents or legitimate superiors?
30. Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
31. Did I neglect to give a good religious example to my family?
32. Am I disrespectful, impolite, or discourteous toward my family?
33. Have I failed to meet my children’s physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs?
34. Have I disobeyed the lawful demands of my superiors, teachers, or employer?
35. Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
36. Did I cause anyone to leave the Catholic Church?
37. Did I cause tension and fights in my family?
38. Did I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
“You shall not kill.”
39. Did I kill or physically injure anyone?
40. Did I have an abortion, or advise someone else to have an abortion?
41. Do I use artificial contraception or birth control?
42. Have I entertained thoughts of suicide, desired to commit suicide, or attempted suicide?
43. Have I participated in euthanasia or assisted suicide?
44. Have I placed others in harms way, by driving or texting inappropriately?
45. Have I failed to help someone in danger or in need?
46. Do I drink or smoke excessively or abuse prescribed drugs?
47. Have I wished evil on anyone?
48. Do I deliberately harbor unkind and revengeful thoughts about others?
49. Have I taken revenge?
50. Have I used harsh or abusive language toward others?
51. Have I spread gloom through my words and actions?
52. Is there anyone with whom I refuse to speak, or against whom I bear a grudge?
53. Have I taken pleasure in anyone’s misfortunes?
54. Have I led others into sin?
“You shall not commit adultery” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife”
55. Did I commit impure acts with another – fornication (premarital sex) or adultery (sex with a married person)?
56. Did I commit impure acts by myself (masturbation)?
57. Do I engage in homosexual acts?
58. Have I refused my spouse the marriage right without good reason?
59. Am I dating someone who is civilly divorced but still bound by a valid marriage?
60. Did I marry or advise anyone to marry outside the Catholic Church?
61. Have I willfully entertained impure thoughts or desires?
62. Did I respect all members of the opposite sex, or have I objectified them?
63. Have I read, listened to, viewed, or spoken of impure things?
64. Have I worn revealing or immodest clothing?
65. Have I succumbed occasions of impurity?
“You shall not steal.”
66. Have I stolen money or property?
67. Have I cheated?
68. Have I failed to make restitution for what I stole?
69. Have I intentionally damaged property?
70. Have I accepted or bought stolen property?
71. Have I helped someone steal?
72. Am I dishonest in my business dealings?
73. Have I failed to make restitution for my stealing, cheating and frauds?
74. Do I gamble excessively?
75. Have I borrowed without permission?
76. Have I failed to return things borrowed?
77. Did I waste time at work, school or at home?
78. Have I cheated my employer of an honest day’s work?
79. Have I cheated my employees of their wages?
80. Have I refused or neglected to help anyone in urgent need?
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
81. Have I lied deliberately?
82. Have I deliberately misled or deceived anyone?
83. Did I gossip or reveal others’ faults or sins?
84. Have I failed to keep promises or oaths?
85. Have I signed false documents?
86. Have I failed to prevent the defamation of another’s character?
87. Have I revealed secrets and betrayed trust?
88. Do I make false judgments and harbor false suspicions?
89. Have a failed to forgive someone or held a grudge?
90. Have I failed to apologize or make amends?
91. Did I fail to keep secret what should be confidential?
92. Have I disclosed another’s sins without serious reason?
“You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
93. Am I greedy or selfish?
94. Am I envious of someone’s possessions, talents, or blessings?
95. Do I indulge in self-pity?
96. Am I proud, vain, or desire to be praised?
97. Have I exaggerated my success?
98. Have I minimized or made excuses for my failures?
99. Have I measured my charity by what others have given, rather than my ability to give?
The Laudate app has several that are based on your state in life.
Read “The Spiritual Combat and A Treatise on Peace of Soul” by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli (c. 1530 – 1510). Remarkable book that will increase awareness of the interior spiritual life and where one falls short. St. Francis de Sales read from it daily and recommended it to all those under his direction.
Want a good guide for examination of conscience.
Never know my sins
Search Bulldog Catholic examination of conscience on Google
I’m 65 and single too. Download the “Laudate” app. It’s got alot of stuff including an examination of conscious for singles that I really like.
What do I do if I’m going thru a battle of the mind and suffer with blasphemous thoughts and my mind and my heart feel like it has gone too far with God and my heart feels hard and don’t feel the Godly sorrow I know should have? I know everything I think is wrong and repent but basically my mind tells me what the point of confession like 🙁
Sounds like a case of overthinking. Salvation is a transition of the heart ♥️. Remember the great saint Mother Teresa said to do small things with a lot of love 💕. Are you doing big things with a little bit of love ❤️?
If you could set up a private meeting with your priest or spiritual director, that would be my go to. My mind battles me a lot and my heart feels hard sometimes, and in that depth of confusion and battle, I asked “what if I don’t really love God? because I feel like I don’t.” My priest answered with “I know you love God. I can see it in how you treat people.” And so sometimes, we must remember love and faith aren’t merely feelings. Sometimes they’re actions. Sometimes we feel like we should be feeling some feeling (like you feel like you should feel sorrowful) and sometimes we just don’t feel them. And that’s okay because our God is the God of feelings and He could make you feel sorrow if He wanted to. Maybe try offering the emotions you do have to God and recognize that even great saints, like Mother Theresa, suffered from this feeling of a dry heart. I think that you’re going through a very hard battle, but it might be the cross Jesus calls you to carry alongside Him and trust that He’s there and knows your heart and mind better than anyone, even yourself. And even though He knows EVERYTHING in there, He still loves you far more than you could imagine and is still helping you carry your cross.
God does not expect us to feel any particular emotion at any particular time. When I have sinned and know it, now I do feel this sorrow. But before that I did not have a picture in my mind of Jesus looking at me with empathy, sympathy, compassion and love. He knows exactly what angers us or makes us feel what is unfair is making us feel powerless. So without emotion. Just pray out loud something like this, in your own words: Jesus I’m so upset I don’t even feel any emotions. I know you love me because you say so in the Bible. I need to because I can’t make it through these awful feelings alone. I feel guilt and shame and I know you would rather that I feel your love instead. So, I, one of your needy ones, as we all are because that’s why you went to the cross. We just can’t abolish our own sins without you. I need you so bad. Please Lord help me see the way out of this. I can’t see it but I know you do. And I know you love me whether I feel that love in my heart right now or not. So please Lord Jesus help your helpless one here praying out loud to you. I need you more than anything and I don’t even like admitting that. But you know that without me admitting it. So please, rescue me again like you have so many times before, and I will think of those times to draw strength from them in gratitude to you because when I turn to myself I do not find the love that you offer when I turn to you. Right now Christ I love you without feeling but I know you will fill in those feelings with joy as I listen to you and change what grieves me in my relationship to you. Amen, dear father who cares about his children, dear savior, Jesus, who not only died for me but rose to live for me, and dear dear holy Spirit who does not look at me as undeserving of love but promises more understanding and more hope and more faith as the precious fruit. And joy as the final flowering of repentance, if there is some to be done. 🙏 I do not know the sorrows of your life or what you have been through or even you, but God knows you completely in all strengths and weaknesses, so I pray for you, having been through so much of this too, maybe a little everyday, but I have to lean on Jesus. So I pray for you in commonality as a fellow sinner and saint. God bless you for being one with a gift to grieve so deeply in longing to be closer to the Lord. I do too.
Talk with a good priest and receive reconciliation if warranted. At the least, lay down the thoughts and worries at the foot of the cross. Then, be at peace.
God knows everything, including the thoughts that come into your, mine, and everyone’s heads occasionally, yet he still loves us. He knows human nature and the heart, and he still loves us.
Father we are on day 235 and love our journey!
Always speaking with enthusiasm about BIAY, a prayer sister today said she got excited and began her study. She is a zealous creationist and stopped short when she thinks you said, :”you can believe it , or not ” in Genesis 1-2. I know how you joke around and i would not have noticed if you said this. I believe i have been confirmed since Day 1, that the Bible is the amazing unerring word of God. What can i tell my friend?
and thanks be to God for your truly inspired ministry!