Q. 743. What faults do many commit in preparing for confession?
A. In preparing for confession many commit the faults: (1) of giving too
much time to the examination of conscience and little or none in
exciting themselves to true sorrow for the sins discovered; (2) of
trying to recall every trifling circumstance, instead of thinking of the
means by which they will avoid their sins for the future.
Q. 744. What, then, is the most important part of the preparation for
confession?
A. The most important part of the preparation for confession is sincere
sorrow for the sins committed and the firm determination to avoid them
for the future.
Q. 745. What is the chief reason that our confessions do not always
amend our way of living?
A. The chief reason that our confessions do not always amend our way of
living is our want of real earnest preparation for them and the fact
that we have not truly convinced ourselves of the need of amendment. We
often confess our sins more from habit, necessity or fear than from a
real desire of receiving grace and of being restored to the friendship
of God.
Q. 746. What faults are to be avoided in making our confession?
A. In making our confession we are to avoid: (1) Telling useless
details, the sins of others, or the name of any person; (2) Confessing
sins we are not sure of having committed; exaggerating our sins or their
number; multiplying the number of times a day by the number of days to
get the exact number of habitual sins; (3) Giving a vague answer, such
as "sometimes," when asked how often; waiting after each sin to be asked
for the next; (4) Hesitating over sins through pretented modesty and
thus delaying the priests and others; telling the exact words in each
when we have committed several sins of the same kind, cursing, for
example; and, lastly, leaving the confessional before the priest gives
us a sign to go.
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