Converting? Try These 2 Lesser-Known Tips While Preparing for Your First Confession

There are a lot of new things a person must learn about and prepare for when they decide to join the Catholic Church, and confession is one of them. All of the sacraments, and especially the sacrament of reconciliation, are wonderful blessings. However, this one can be a challenging thing for a person who is new to the faith to understand, and part of this may be because many other Christian denominations teach that confessing to a priest is not necessary. That’s not true for all other denominations, but it is true for a majority of them, so those who convert from any of those denominations, or from none at all, may have a hard time figuring out what to do to effectively prepare themselves mentally and emotionally for their first confession. 

But the good news is that there are lots of things that can help them. Some common things that everyone, including those who have been Catholic their entire lives, does are using things like the examination of conscience, and writing their sins down (or typing them out in an app on their phones) so that they do not accidentally forget something once they get in there. Additionally, there are multiple examinations of conscience to choose from, many of which can be found online. 

Also, a cool thing is that, in addition to tips that are frequently shared with newcomers, there are plenty of tips one can use for this that do not get talked about very often. Additionally, converts are not the only ones who may find those tips helpful. While such tips are especially helpful for those who are preparing to enter the Church and partake in their first confession, even seasoned Catholics can benefit from them as well.

Pray 
Those who have been to confession, or at least read about it or watched a video on it that other Catholics created, know that prayer is a big part of the process. However, one good thing that doesn’t seem to get discussed as much is the fact that praying for the priest beforehand is a good idea. This may help in multiple ways. For example, since prayer helps ease a person’s anxiety, doing this could actually help a convert feel a bit more at ease before they enter the confessional. Furthermore, priests hear about a lot of heavy topics during confession, so praying for them might help give them more courage and strength to handle such things. 

Remember That Confession Is Not Therapy
One tip that is actually really necessary, and may be of particular interest to those who are new to the Church is to remember that confession is not therapy. Those who go should not treat it like a therapy session. But with that being said, there are some priests who might give a person advice during confession if they desire, and if time allows it. Also, in a sense, it can be used as a tool to help those who do go to therapy. While some people have no trouble talking to their therapists about the things that they are struggling with, there are many who do. When those people try doing an examination of conscience, they will likely begin to see some patterns in their behavior, and that is something that might help give them an idea of what to discuss next time they attend a therapy session. 

A convert’s first confession, as great as that sacrament is, can make them a little anxious. But between doing an examination of conscience, praying beforehand, and knowing that it can help them see what parts of their lives they need to improve, there are many ways in which they can combat that anxiety and get prepared. Also, talking to other Catholics may help them discover more helpful things that can prepare them for this milestone.