Although frequent Confession is meritorious, one can easily become complacent and fall into a routine that diminishes sorrow for sins. This classic compendium provides preparations and thanksgivings to guide you step-by-step through the Confession process to help you develop a firm resolution, make reparation for sins, and become more disposed to receive God’s grace. Whether you are a recent convert or someone who confesses regularly, this book is for you. Fr. Hubert McEvoy, S.J., breaks open the true purpose of the sacrament and offers practical tips to help you grow in appreciation for God’s abundant mercy. The preparations and thanksgivings in these pages reveal the many benefits that the practice of frequent Confession provides besides the forgiveness of sins. Fr. McEvoy offers an atmosphere of freshness for each Confession by focusing our attention on themes associated with the rich and varied graces of this powerful sacrament. He explores topics ranging from self-knowledge, compunction, and penance to gratitude, forgiving others, and developing specific virtues. Through stirring reflections on Scripture, and prayers and meditations from esteemed spiritual authors, you will learn: • Why “confessions of devotion” are beneficial for your soul • How Christ’s gift of forgiveness in the sacrament restores peace • St. Francis de Sales’s advice for avoiding scrupulosity • How to make a fruitful examination of conscience • Practical advice and steps on making a good confession • How to focus on core faults and ways to manage emotions An extensive index and list of resources are also included, in addition to numerous scriptural passages for further meditation. Despite our imperfections, Fr. McEvoy shows us how to humbly detest our sins while trusting in God and persevering with confidence and joy. By uniting our hearts more closely to God’s will, he explains, we also grow in charity and help to build up the unity of His Church. “To hasten daily progress along the path of virtue, We wish the pious practice of frequent confession to be earnestly advocated. Not without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was this practice introduced into the Church. By it, genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are purified, the will strengthened, and grace is increased in virtue of the sacrament itself” (Pope Pius XII, The Mystical Body).
