Saint John Vianney once said, “many confess, and few are converted.” Why is that? Shouldn’t confessing one’s sins be enough?
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Here is what Saint John Vianney says is the key to making a good confession that will change your life forever.
He says, “few confess with tears of repentance.” Often we go to confession, rattle off our sins like a machine-gun and then say our penance before reaching our pew. It is too easy to go to confession without realizing the effect our sins have upon our Lord. Saint John Vianney reminds us,
“‘You have been crucifying Our Lord!’….My children, if we thought of it, we should be seized with horror; it would be impossible for us to do evil. For what has the good God done to us that we should grieve Him thus, and put Him to death afresh – Him, who has redeemed us from Hell? It would be well if all sinners, when they are going to their guilty pleasures, could, like St. Peter, meet Our Lord on the way, who would say to them, ‘I am going to that place where thou art going thyself, to be there crucified afresh.’ Perhaps that might make them reflect.” (emphasis added).
This echoes what the Catechism instructs us is required for the sacrament of Confession:
1451 Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.”
1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.
1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.
I personally know that perfect contrition is hard to foster. It is too easy to view confession as another item on my “to-do” list and not to view it as a necessary part of my relationship with God. We should desire to go to confession because we love God and do not want to offend Him, just like we do not want to offend our spouse or loved one.
Saint John Vianney gives us further advice in regards to how to foster true repentance,
“My children, we run the risk again of profaning the Sacrament if we seize the moment when there is a noise round the confessional to tell the sins quickly which give us most pain. We quiet ourselves by saying, “I accused myself properly; so much the worse if the confessor did not hear. ” So much the worse for you who acted cunningly! At other times we speak quickly, profiting by the moment when the priest is not very attentive to get over the great sins. Take a house which has been for a long time very dirty and neglected – it is in vain to sweep out, there will always be a nasty smell. It is the same with our soul after confession; it requires tears to purify it. My children, we must ask earnestly for repentance. After confession, we must plant a thorn in our heart, and never lose sight of our sins. We must do as the angel did to St. Francis of Assisi; he fixed in him five darts, which never came out again.” (emphasis added)
The next time we go to confession, let us bring with us a crucifix and reflect on how God died for our sins. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to stir within us holy tears to express our sorrow over our sins. Only then will confession pierce our hearts. Only then will we be able to divorce ourselves from a life of sin and commit ourselves fully to the service of God.
Source: The Catechetical Instructions of Saint John Vianney