How to make your Confessions less difficult and more fruitful
If you still drag your feet about going to Confession, here's the help you need to enable you to overcome your reluctance and open your soul to the vast reservoir of mercy found in Confession.
This down-to-earth, practical guide shows you how to transform your confessions from embarrassing moments in a dark room into profound experiences of God's love. The author, Fr. John Kane, provides solid guidelines for how you can (and must) make the most effective possible use of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Even better, he shows you how to carry the grace of Confession into your daily life, so that you'll start winning — consistently — your battles against sin.
This is a book you can return to again and again in order to renew your sense of God's mercy — as well as to gain Fr. Kane's help in examining your conscience and bringing your life into greater conformity with the light of the gospel.
Get Fr. Kane's help to confess well and avoid sin:
"It is a great thing to make a good confession, and this is a good book about how to do it." Fr. George William Rutler
"This magnificent handbook helps you deepen your repentance and make it lasting. Don't go to Confession without it!" Patrick Madrid
"Teaches us not only how to go to Confession, but also how to stir up sentiments of repentance and purpose of amendment that are necessary to receive the sacrament fruitfully. Worth reading again and again." Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.
"Can help a person get into the salutary habit of a regular celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation." Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P.
"A marvelous book. Can provide spiritual nourishment throughout the whole process of repentance, confession, and spiritual growth." Fr. Mitchell Pacwa, S.J.
"A welcome blessing. It offers a fine examination of conscience, ideally presented to meet today's needs." Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R.
I've perused through a few books on Confession. Some too long. Many, too short. This one, just about right. Not only does the author explain the importance of Confession in bite size pieces, but with a certain meaty depth, there is also perhaps the most thorough examination of conscience available in print in the back of the book. Actually, the examine alone is probably worth the price of admission. If you don't have a copy, get one. And while you're at it, get an extra copy or two in order to keep on hand should you ever be inspired by the Holy Spirit to give one to someone else. Also, a quick note on the print quality. For a paperback, the cover is comparatively durable, much more so than the average paperback. I kept it in my car and it got tossed around and still looked good. However, it is still a paperback with requisite limitations to using glue on the binding. In the hot sun in the car, the glue binding WILL melt. Other than that, great quality for a paperback.
1. Cultivate true contrition
12. Found your repentance on Christ's tender mercy
3. Let sorrow for your sin help you overcome your sins
4. Combat your pride through sacramental Confession
5. Make reparation for your sins
6. Resolve to change
7. Appendix: How to make a good confession
8. Biographical note: John A. Kane
How to Pray Always
How to Resist Temptation
Spiritual Combat
Christian Self-Mastery
Who is the Devil?