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by Fr. Alfred Wilson, C.P.
Back: the bestselling laymen's guide to getting the full spiritual, mental, and even physical benefits from Confession
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Pardon and Peace
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Code: 0912141980
Price: $19.95
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Back in the late 1940s, when Freud's theories were at the peak of their influence, one prominent psychiatrist shocked the intelligentsia with this surprising admission:
“People come here in droves and pay me inordinate amounts of money for trying to do what the Catholic Church does for nothing.”
What he had discovered was that the Sacrament of Penance improves mental and even physical health in ways that psychotherapy does less reliably, if a lot more expensively.
Which came as nothing new to Fr. Alfred Wilson, C.P., a pastor of souls and popular spiritual writer. But the psychological benefits of Confession, he wrote, are of a piece with its moral benefits -- and can only be fully enjoyed when the penitent approaches the sacrament in the proper spirit. He captivated large Catholic audiences with insights like these:
- The three indispensable acts of the penitent in Confession. The minimum requirements for their validity
- How often should you go? The benefits of a regular schedule
- Find yourself confessing the same sins over and over? Here’s the reason -- and some helpful advice
- 8 types of “inaccurate confession,” that subtly avoid speaking the full truth
- If your examination of conscience tends to be a lengthy, nerve-wracking ordeal -- then here's what you're probably doing wrong
- 13 guidelines for a thorough, but not excessive, examination of conscience
- One crucial area of conduct that most penitents forget to examine
- 2 chief considerations for weighing the gravity of a sin
- 3 conditions that must be present for a sin to be mortal
- Overcoming nervousness about going to Confession
- 2 aspects of every mortal sin, both of which we must account for in Confession
- Causes of “scrupulosity” (an unfounded feeling of having committed sin) and suggestions for overcoming it
- 5 reasons why confessing a long list of sins is a sign we are not truly penitent
- What is “devotional” Confession? Its principal benefits
- 4 guidelines for confessing venial sins
- Why the Church teaches we should expiate venial sins as soon as we become conscious of them. Traditional ways of doing it
- Why it is legitimate to re-confess past sins
- Common excuses for avoiding Confession
- How avoidance of Confession leads to “progressive demoralization of character and personality”
- 5 kinds of “blinkers” many of us use to impede true self-knowledge
- Considerations for those who are afraid what the priest will say or think
- Why many nervous breakdowns are traceable to unforgiven sin
- How modern psycho-therapy imitates the confessional
- Answers to criticisms of Confession by Protestants and others
- A brief history of Confession, beginning with Our Lord's instructions
- Common misconceptions concerning Confession and Holy Communion
- “Nothing to tell”? More likely you’re not searching properly
- Common misconceptions about conscience. Two ways to safeguard a healthy, honest one
- Right and wrong ways to confess sins of impurity
- When you're not sure something is a sin
- What should you do when you realize you made a mistake or mis-statement in Confession?
- The all-important difference between true contrition and “feeling sorry”
- “Sins of malice” vs. “sins of weakness”: how this theological distinction help us judge the reality of our contrition
- “Counterfeit” contrition: ways to recognize it
- Why it is heretical to believe that we can avoid all sin, even venial, without a special privilege from God
- Why it is better to make reparation for sin in this life than in Purgatory
- “Good manners are as necessary and appropriate in the confessional as anywhere else.” Guidelines
- Which formalities of Confession are necessary, which optional?
- "Be blunt, be brief, be gone": Fr. Wilson explains the profound wisdom behind this once-popular "rule" for going to Confession
"Helps the laity to understand better what the Sacrament is and why it should be used frequently. Anecdotes and stories make its pages entertaining reading, while illustrating and correcting some of the strange notions held by Catholics. ... This book should be in every Catholic library and home.” -- Messenger of the Sacred Heart
“Presents the sacrament of Penance as it was intended by our Divine Master ... wages relentless war on the bogies, the phobias, the fuddle ... full of acute observations and deep psychological insight.” -- Irish Ecclesiastical Record
Sewn Softcover
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