Pope Pius Xll, in his encyclical: " Mystici Corporus" , summarized the principal fruits into 8 reasons for frequent confession:
1. Frequent Confession increases the true knowledge of oneself. By examining our conscience more frequently, we will have greater memory of all of our transgressions that need to be confessed, and not just our habitual sins.
2. Frequent Confession will encourage Christian humility. By better recognizing our sins, our confessions will be more humbling , which helps to make up for our pride, which is the root cause of all of our sins.
3. Frequent Confession tends to root out bad habits.
Frequent confession will help us to overcome our dominant faults, so that we can progress in improving our spiritual lives.
4. Frequent Confession fights spiritual negligence and tepidity. Tepidity is a blind settling mediocrity without a real willingness to come out of it. The extra graces we receive from frequent confesssion helps to move us past our lethargy to improve our spiritual lives.
5. Frequent Confession purifies the conscience. The cleansing of our consciences make our souls more transparant to the imperfections that previously were invisible to us, helping us to remove more of the stain of sin from our lives.
6. Frequent Confession strengthens the will. One of the greatest illness of our time is lack of will power and and weak character. We feel much stronger after Confession.
7. Frequent Confession lends itself to spiritual guidance. We should choose a regular confessor who can help us in Confession by guiding our conscience.
8. Frequent Confession increases graces. By its own effect, frequent confession increases sanctifying grace, is accompanied by a sacramental grace which wipes out sin, strengthers against temptation, and gives feelings of joy and peace to the soul.
Frequent Confession with frequent Holy Communion is the path recommended by Popes and many great Saints to bring us closer to Jesus, and progress in holiness in our spiritual lives. . It is what we should emulate.
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2 comments:
You know it's great to be reminded of the "whys" of confession. It's hard sometimes to examine our conscience and if we don't do it often enough I think it becomes harder. I have put confession off for a while now and it's not good. I know I did my examination this past week like I mentioned on my post but just not the actual sacrament, which is well overdue! And yes, frequent confession helps root out bad habits I have to AMEN all of that. Thanks for this :D
Oh I left a huge comment here and it didnt work! Oh!!!
I was just saying how it's good to be reminded of the importance of frequent confession, it's so easy to put it off and i'm guilty of that lately.
Also the "roots out bad habits" YES INDEED! AMEN to that especially.
Ok i'm off to bed, i'm tired. God bless. Thanks for the inspiration to try to get to confession this saturday...
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