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TRUE CONFESSION
and genuine, the person confessing feels real liberation merely
by talking out and getting to the bottom of his sin. But man’s
sinful nature can interfere even with the settlement with sin.
This risk can never be entirely eliminated, and it is necessary
to remind the penitent of this. Only the person desiring to be
truthful in the fullest sense of the word can master himself and
his past.
Regular Confession
With the thought of spiritual growth in mind, it is of value to
make frequent use of the privilege of seeing a spiritual adviser,
both to make confession and to receive his guidance and
advice.
It is always beneficial to order the spiritual life by certain
rules. If after reverent thought one attempts to define such
rules for oneself, a definite place will probably be given to
regular confession. The interval between confessions will be
one that does not allow too long a time to elapse between the
occasions when one can open one’s heart, but it will naturally
vary according to the individual’s circumstances. No general
rule can be made. The regularity of confession is, however, of
no slight importance. If sincerity and willingness to reveal one’s
inmost heart are to leave their marks on the spiritual life, it is
necessary to make confession a regular habit. The mere
knowledge that one must acknowledge a defeat is a powerful restraint
for a person of weak character.
If the purpose of confession is the renewal of one’s spiritual
strength and integrity, it is also important to return to the same
spiritual adviser for each regular confession; usually to a priest
or minister in the Church or denomination to which one
belongs. Certainly one should confess to one’s own priest when
the discipline and rules of one’s own church have been
transgressed, unless there are very strong reasons indeed for not
doing so.
When the choice of a spiritual adviser has been made, it
should be kept, and his guidance should be followed. It
is a bad thing to go from adviser to adviser to receive
absolution.
It sometimes happens that someone guilty of an especially
shameful sin is reluctant to go to his usual confessor, and makes
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