Hi Ntinos,
When you are confessing, you are standing in front of God's mercy. Not to be judged but to be introduced before His Love.
I wonder what would really be your reaction if you realized that there is not just a priest that listens to your heartfelt confession but The Lord of Lords Himself. Would you have talked just about your false actions ?
I encourage you next time you go to confession to talk to Jesus. Talk to Jesus brother Ntinos! You are not doing a Christian duty in the blessed time of confession but you are talking to a Person. He knows all about yourself. Do not talk "about yourself", talk to Him. If you do not have anything to say to Him just stand silent. Listen. Say to your priest: father today just let me stand speechless. Stand in the Presence of the Mighty. That is a confession worthy of your honest pursuit of goodness.
>First of all, how often must one confess?There is no "must" in love. You confess to a priest but you are really confessing to a dear-loved Person Whom you call "my Lord" and "my Saviour". You ask "how often?" I tell you "always". Can you stay there in the confessional for ever ? And when you will run out of words just stay in His Presence with a mute love for Him. Because that is exactly what you are doing there "you are expressing your love to Christ".
>Second, is there a list of sins one can take into consideration before going to confession?Remember why you are in this confessing position. Impelled by your love for Him. May be you feel that you have to talk to Him about yourself. Just do that. Do not prepare your speech. Holy Ghost will provide the tongue for you to speak your heart out. Do not spare yourself the pain of revealing your unworthy (by your judgment) self. Christ seeks the lost "unworthy" self to be found in His Reign. There is no list that could make more true your love for Him. Run to the fountain-head of confession carrying "the burden" of your self so that you can quench your thirst.
> Third, is confession only for reporting sins to God & repenting, or can I ask the priest other things as well (not really related to problems of mine).Please do not forget that you are talking to Whom you Love, Christ dearest. Could the priest be invisible to you would you talk to him at all ?
>Finally, is making a generalization allowed, or must one be very specific in what he confesses?Again, do you believe that you have an internal need to talk for everything of that you have done ? If you are talking
to Christ and not talking
about your sins then you are free to speak in whatever manner you feel more appropriate.
The experience of "taking to Christ" is substantially different from the experience of "talking about your sins ". The difference is that in the first case "the Person Christ" is the substance of your experience while in the second case"your sins" is the substance of your experience.Brother Ntinos, you confess your sins as a free person. Nobody has the right to violate your freedom, and believe me God Himself respects your personality. Whatever you say to Him is a confession of your heart. If you want in your heart to meet Jesus and to talk to Him about how much (or how little) you love Him there is no better place than the confessional.
Finally, please let me tell you that inside your heart you will find the answers that you seek.
Pray for the world brother.
