Hello, I've been larping as a Christian for about a year now. It was around this time last year I took a serious interest in Christianity and read the bible until I finished it in the winter. At that point I realized I needed God in my life and was feeling strong repentance for everything I've done over the past 10 years. I've got a lot on my plate. And every day I said "this is the week I go to confession" but I never do it, so I never do communion.
I'd like to stop larping and find the courage to walk into the parish and be a real Christian. I was baptized as an infant and did my first communion when I was a little boy. My parents stopped taking me to church after that, and I'm so glad I rediscovered everything on my own. If I'm not mistaken, confession is the only roadblock I have to receive communion.
What do I do to get the courage needed to finally go through with it? Most of what I need to say is buried deep and thinking about it makes me sick. I will surely fall apart when trying to get it all out, if I manage to remember everything. I've watched some videos on the process, as well as read many threads related to it here. I just get cold feet or make excuses.
It seems like the Holy Spirit is already giving you the courage and drive to come to Christ. Repentance is a simple matter of humbling yourself (see Leviticus 26:41, Acts 2:36-38, 2 Corinthians 7:10) before God and turning from your life of sin. That you want to believe that Jesus truly is the Son the God is also fruit that only comes from God (Matthew 16:16 and 1 Corinthians 2).
It's going be hard as you must carry your cross, but keep praying to God, boldly coming before, and you will persevere.
biblia.com is a great online Biblie if you need one. I used to use that a lot before getting dedicated software for seminary.
I know this might sound like "lmao just be yourself just do it just stop being depressed" advice, it really is the truth. You really need to rip the bandaid off. Email the priest as soon as possible (as soon as possible is right now, email is open 24/7). Go to confession the next time your local parish offers it, then go to the service the next they offer it. They have a calendar online, check it. If you can't go to confession before their next service, go to service and don't take communion. You're hurting yourself with your endless doddling. The best time for you to have gone to church was ten years ago, the second best time is today. t. someone who doddled and didn't go to church but is finally ripping the band-aid off and joining the orthodox church
Noah Martin
If you really can't do it, go to church and skip communion (like other people there should be doing). This will remind you why you need to do confession.
Grayson Gray
What if you die tomorrow? What will you tell Christ? "Im sorry, I was too much of a coward to begin living my life for Your Sake?" Do you think He wants you to continue to live in mortal sin? Do you yourself enjoy this immense burden you willingly keep on your shoulders?
Stop listening to satan. He will give you plenty of wonderful excuses to continue to omit the sacraments and live in despair and in sin. Its time to fight user, right now.
As soon as you finish reading this, do as follows: Get a paper and a pencil. Make the sign of the cross. "Let the Holy Cross be my light, Let not the dragon be my guide. Get back from me satan, Never tempt me with vain things. What you offer me is evil, You drink the poison yourself." Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Our Father. Hail Mary. Begin to meditate on Our Lord and His Crucifixion, and your sins that have added to His agony. Begin to write down all of them, every single one as they come to mind. You will cry, you might blank out; do not stop writing them all down and do not stop praying.
When you are finished, recollect yourself and thank Our Lord for not smiting you, and for His Love. Look up where confession is being administered near you (i use masstimes) and if necessary call to make an appointment for TODAY. continue to pray and be truly sorry for your sins. Read the paper over or bring it with you.
When you arrive at the church ask Our Lady and all the saints to pray for you to have a good confession. The Blessed Virgin Mary will protect you under her mantle if you ask her help to bring you closer to her Beloved Son. Ask st. Pio for help for both you and the priest. The priest will guide you through the rest of it.
Do this right now. Dont even respond to this thread to thank us or to tell us youre going. Seriously do this right now. Turn off the computer if you need to. Nothing is more important than your salvation. Make time for God stop putting of being closer to him. today is the first day of the rest of your life.
For "Our hearts are restless until they rest Thee O Lord."
Robert Williams
You have to shed the indoctrination that you were brought up in. Your infant baptism did nothing, spiritually speaking. Nor did your communion. Nor would your confession.
It has always been about meeting your Creator, one on one, and asking to be saved. Confessing with your mouth that Jesus is LORD, and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead will cause you to be saved.
God is not in some building that you need to go to. God is not far away. God is not deaf. When you speak to God, you will find that he not only hears you, but is right behind you, and always has been.
Pagan religions, like Romanism, seek to materialize everything in the bible. Hence the idols, the infusion of the Holy Spirit drip by drip to their "seven sacraments", etc.
You read the bible. Go read Romans 10:9-13 as many times as it takes for it to sink in, and then say and do what Romans 10:9-13 says to say and do. Blessed are they who hear the gospel, and DO IT, not just the ones who hear it.
And never idolotrous pagans. Not even once. Break away from their conditioning and meet Jesus, personally, thank him for taking your sins onto himself on the cross and paying the price for them, so that you do not have to. And then clear up the last remaining sin you have: Unbelief.
Clear that up with Belief. Belief in the truth; belief in the Christ the son of the living God; believe that Jesus is God, who paid the price of humanity's sins and rose again from the third day, promising to do the same to all who believe.
Believe, and be saved. Right where you are. Today is the day of salvation; no man is promised tomorrow.
Henry Parker
Pagan nonsense. Demonic pagan nonsense.
Wyatt Adams
I was in the same boat when I first started coming here, a few years back. is right. Just do it. I LARPed for months before finally going to confession. After finally just doing it, I feel the relief of a gigantic weight lifted from me and immediately regretted waiting so long.
Confession times are only on the weekend or during regular working hours when I'm not available. But I'll still do what you suggested (minus the don't reply part)
Should he also say an Act of Contrition? Side question: would saying an Act of Contrition protect you from the fires of hell should you die between reciting one and going to the next available confession? polite sage for slightly off topic
Logan Harris
Not to a priest. To God, and also to one another.
Easton Richardson
Priest acts as a mediator though.
Josiah Russell
...
Cooper Bell
So, you don't believe in apostolic succession? Jesus anointed the apostles to perform miracles and take confession in His name.
As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.
Hudson Phillips
The demons cry out as they strike you indeed. OP do not listen the Romanists. when I applauded , I was applauding a different meaning than merely going to a Roman confession but to just go to Christ. Turn Christ alone and live!
Wrong, that's blasphemy of the highest order (no wonder God gives your priests to sodomy and pedastry having forsaken His Word and His Gospel since the 1000's onward):
"O LORD our God, other masters besides Thee have ruled us; But through Thee alone we confess Thy name." (Isa. 26:13 NAS)
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Tim. 2:5 NAS)
"For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant" (Heb. 9:13-15 NAS)
And you need no mediator for confession" "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him." (Ps. 32:3-6 NAS) (Nothing here about a priest)
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed." (Jas. 5:16 NAS) (To one another, not to a single man even He who alone is mediator).
Samuel Phillips
*Turn to Christ alone and live!
Christian Young
why Jesus give apostles ability to forgive sins if you can confess to God directly?
Jaxson King
Where have you read this? I must've missed this in the Bible
