"You need a blessing"

I am a revert to the Catholic faith. I regretfully left the church after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Three children, several years, and one marriage outside of the Catholic church later, God called me back with a full and complete understanding of Christ’s Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

As I returned to the Catholic Church and started attending Mass weekly again, I remember always wanting to sit in the front- as close to Jesus as possible. I was so excited to be there again, finally understanding this great Gift we receive in the Holy Eucharist. A gift I had received so often as a child and teen, but never with the understanding or appreciation I now had. After a week or two, I started to notice during the consecration that I would receive this specific message in my heart: “You need a blessing, [name].” It was always at the same time during Mass…every week….

"Mom, I feel so different!"

I returned to the Catholic faith as a married adult. I had prayed so much that my children, too, would all be able to be Catholic, as there was division in my marriage on this subject. I remember leaving for a retreat the weekend my oldest two sons should have received their First Communion. I had gotten into a fight with my husband on the topic and was told by him that morning we should get a divorce….

Forgiving family when it's hard: Confession helps

Angry, tired man sitting on a couch.

A situation happened in my family 4 years ago when my father chose to pass on the family farm, valued at 2 million dollars, in an unjust way.  My dad gave the family farm to my sister and her husband for free.  He felt that this was the only way to pass on the farm to the next generation as, in his words, ‘no one could afford to buy it’.   My mother did not have a choice in this as she always just goes along with whatever my dad decides.  The problem was that there are 5 sisters in my family (no brothers) and none of us were farming – we all had other jobs,  so this felt like the rest of us were being rejected and he picked a favorite child (and their children) in which to give this great gift.  In addition, the farm generates a sizeable income by renting out the crop land which would make the farm payment – so dad was wrong that none of us could afford it.  My dad was 81 years old when he did this and only included my one sister and her husband in making this decision.

This situation is not uncommon – it know it happens in different scenarios in other families and I always thought it was wrong for families to fight over money.  But, when it happened in our family, it felt like a bomb when off and shrapnel flew into all of our hearts.  The pain of being rejected and the unjustness of the situation was immense.  My sisters and I, as well as our husbands, were so hurt.  My dad was not open to discussion and has never apologized.

My sisters and I are all doing fine financially and we all said ‘it wasn’t about the money’ but about the unjustness of the situation.  How could dad do this to us and how could my sister and her husband go along with this… couldn’t they see the unjustness of this?  I felt ‘captured’ in the net of hurt, bitterness, rejection and distrust.

From the beginning, I fought against division in our family over this situation. I saw Satan was working for division in our family.   I turned to Jesus in prayer and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Through the Sacrament, I began to see the envy, greed and jealousy present in my heart (even though I previously was thinking of myself as above that) and knowing that I had to reject that sin and confess it. 

“I fought for peace in my family and I know the Sacrament gave me the grace to persevere in this fight.”

 I fought for peace in my family and I know the Sacrament gave me the grace to persevere in this fight.   I kept visiting my elderly parents each week even though it was very painful to do.   I knew that I was called to love and honor my parents and I chose to continue to do that day by day.   I kept on speaking terms with my sister and her husband even though it was hard.  I encouraged my sisters to choose forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not saying that what happened was okay, but just letting it go and giving it to God; releasing our hearts from the bitterness and hurt that holding grudges causes in our heart.  

This all took time to evolve… maybe three years of time.  I went for spiritual direction a few times and to the Sacrament of Reconciliation every month to receive God’s grace.   Even to this day, four years later, sometimes I have to reject hurtful thoughts that pop into my head.  As soon as I recognizing those hurtful or bitter thoughts, I choose to intentionally pray to for God to remove the hurt and pain from my heart and to pray for my parents and all my sisters.  Day by day, with God’s grace, I strive to choose love and forgiveness as Jesus shows me.

 —Anonymous, SE Minnesota

God gives us help when confession is hard

I knew I needed to go to Confession, and that coming clean with the Lord would help me find healing, particularly in that area of my life with which I was especially struggling. Upon my arrival home, I wrote down all that the Lord had brought to the surface of my heart, made an appointment with a priest, and prayed, begging God to help me, because I knew this would be the hardest Confession of my life.


Confession gave me the strength for what God knew was coming...but I didn't

Confession gave me the strength for what God knew was coming...but I didn't

As a cradle Catholic and as part of a strong Catholic family, it was always expected of me to go to confession at least two times a year.  After high school graduation and moving away from home those times became few and far between until it was years since my last confession. It wasn’t until after I was married and had children that it become important to me again, but honestly, only because of the good example I wanted to set for my own children. And still that was very sporadic.

It was about 2002 when I began to feel the need and desire to study and strengthen my faith, to be more intentional about it. (I can’t explain this desire other than what St Augustine said “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”) And I thank God for that restlessness because only He knew what my future held and how I would need Him for strength.  I started attending a bible study and reading more Catholic books. I was given a book written by Matthew Kelly called “Rediscover Catholicism.” That book alone has taught me so much and inspired me to be more intentional about my faith. The chapter about reconciliation really spoke to me so I returned to the sacrament and began to feel the healing and the strength of Christ.

In 2008 at the age of 20 our son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The phone call from the doctor on that fateful evening is one I will never forget….

After 30 years--a return to confession

After 30 years--a return to confession

“The Lord is kind and merciful” ~ Psalm 103.  It had been 30 years since my last Confession.  I knew I needed to return to Confession but I was afraid.  Where would I start?  It had been so long. But because I was also attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist I knew I needed to make a decision soon.  I knew it was wrong to continue to receive the Eucharist after being away from Confession for so long.  I was searching for the right opportunity but my fear of going back to the sacrament was very strong.

Through an act of providence, I believe, I was invited to join a group of Catholics from various parishes in Rochester to travel to Irene, South Dakota….

Forgiveness and healing after an abortion

Forgiveness and healing after an abortion

As a former Protestant who had never experienced the healing and forgiveness offered in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it is difficult to express how privileged I feel to now have access to this incredible sacrament of healing.

 Some years ago, while preparing to be received into full communion with the Church, the time came for my “dreaded first confession.”  At least that is how I thought of it.  In fact, there was one thing in particular I dreaded to confess; the abortion my wife and I had some 17 years previously.  I had not understood why the pain would not go away, even though I had repented of  it publicly and privately many times. 

The Lord will tell you what to say, if you ask

The Lord will tell you what to say, if you ask

A few years ago when preparing to receive the sacrament of reconciliation I ask the Lord to help me prepare my heart and soul for Him and if I had any sins that I did not recognize that the Holy Spirit would reveal them. I prayed in the morning at home, in the car, and entering the church but nothing seem to be coming to my mind.

As I walked up the stairs to the church I stopped suddenly and the Lord showed me something from my life. 

I come from a broken home...and Confession and the Eucharist have helped me heal

I come from a broken home...and Confession and the Eucharist have helped me heal

Since my conversion to the Catholic faith, I have learned that there is a powerful but often subtle connection between the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  Over the last several years, it seems like every important step forward in my interior life has happened through the rich relationship that exists between these two sacraments.

 I come from a broken home, have made a lot of bad choices in my life, and have struggled with addictions and compulsive behaviors that I used to medicate all of the unprocessed pain and undressed wounds in my life.  But, in the years since I have become Catholic, regular visits to the confessional and prayer before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament have gently but firmly accelerated the healing process and brought me to a level of freedom I could not have imagined was possible.

"If I say this out loud, I will die"

"If I say this out loud, I will die"

Most people don’t know I didn’t receive sacramental reconciliation for 16 years. If it’s been a long time for you, I am telling you I get it—but I encourage you to go. Every reason you have for not going to confession is wrong. I want to share my own story.

When I was 16, a good friend and I got in a huge argument—or really, I got into an argument with her. She was trying to reach out to me after I had a very bad week, and I wasn’t having it. I screamed some vicious things at her in an empty high school hallway (“stay away from me, I don’t want your help!, just leave me alone!”). She was clearly hurt and I left. It was the end of the school day, and I went home.

But then she didn’t come to school the next day or the next

Mary can help: how confession became easier to do

Mary can help: how confession became easier to do

Most of my life I had a distant and somewhat tense relationship with Mary, our Mother. I understood her importance as the mother of Jesus, but I never felt a connection—more the opposite, honestly. I thought of her as the perfect woman, perfect disciple, perfect mother. I was none of those things. I looked at her and felt judged.

A friend challenged me to consider Mary as a friend rather than an adversary, a mother rather than a judge. It took a while, but one day I was praying and something clicked—that some of my most God-drenched moments happened as a mother, and it must have been that way for her even more—she was mothering the messiah, the Son of God! As I considered that, I “turned” to Mary in my mind and said, “Look—I need to go to confession later today anyway. Would you help me out? Thanks.” That seemed to be well received and I went on with my day. I didn’t realize how significant that prayer would be. …