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.
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Do we go to confession every week to receive communion?
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.
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.
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!