A Pocket Guide to Confession
Michael Dubruiel
ISBN 9781592763313eISBN 9781612781853
ASIN B01F43I888
After reading Dr Hahn’s A Pocket Guide to St. Paul from OSV I have been able to track down all but one in the series. I have been jumping around reading them. I have read books by Michael before, and looked forward to working through this volume. I am always interested in reading about confessions, and consider it absolutely central to my faith and life. At the time of writing this review this book and series appear to be out of print. It has been fewer than 20 years since it released, and not even the eBook appears to be available currently. While reading this it seemed very familiar, I read and reviewed it in 2009, for that original review click here. This is a wonderful little read.
The description of this volume states:
“This pocket guide is meant to serve as an aid to such a varied group as those:
Confess regularly.
Are becoming Catholic.
Are making their First Confession.
Have been away from this sacrament for some time.
Are waiting for a sign that God can forgive whatever horrible sin has been committed.
You will find:
Answers to basic questions about Confession.
Helps to preparing to make a good Confession by examining your conscience and praying before you celebrate the sacrament.
A walk through the sacrament.
How to use the experience of the Apostle Peter as a model for your own ongoing conversion to Jesus Christ.”
The chapters and sections in this booklet are:
Introduction
Questions and Answers about Confession
Examining Your Conscience before Confession
A Prayer to Say before Confessing Your Sins
The Elements of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession)
Entering the Confessional or Reconciliation Room
Reception of the Penitent
The Liturgy of the Word (optional)
Confession and Penance
Act of Contrition
Absolution
Dismissal
Prayers to Say after Confession
(Along with Your Penance)
Meditation: Making Confession a
Life-Changing Experience
Notes
I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“Claire Furia Smith, in her book Catholicism: Now I Get It!, confessed that when she made her first confession she took a list and a flashlight with her — the list so she wouldn't forget what she had done and the flashlight so she-would be able to see the list in the dark confessional. In some ways, Claire's first experience is enlightening: going to confession is all about shedding light on our darkness — letting the light of Christ redefine who God created us to be and letting go of all that tends to define us when we hold on to our list of misdeeds.”
“This great sacrament that Jesus has given to the Church offers each of us the opportunity to once again leave behind whatever the “such were some of you” might be in our own lives and reclaim our new identity — not based on our sinfulness, but on the purpose for which God has created us.”
“This great sacrament that Jesus has given to the Church offers each of us the opportunity to once again leave behind whatever the “such were some of you” might be in our own lives and reclaim our new identity — not based on our sinfulness, but on the purpose for which God has created us.”
“Father Tadeusz Dajczer points out in his excellent book on the spiritual life, The Gift of Faith,’ that there are two ways to experience the sacrament of Reconciliation. The first is an egocentric (meaning a me-centered) way. The second is a theocentric (meaning a God-centered) way. He points out that many times we go to confession in order to feel better about ourselves (an egocentric way) and not out of any real sense that we have hurt God by our actions (a theocentric way).”
“Our sins rupture our relationship with God. They hurt Him. An analogy might help us understand this better. When a child rejects the love of his or her parents, the parents are hurt by this act. They do not stop loving the child, in fact they suffer all the more because of their love and concern for the child.”
“This is not only a sacrament of healing, but it is also a sacrament of conversion. When you and I celebrate it with the aim of truly repenting — changing the way we think about the world we live in and viewing it as Christ has taught us and continues to teach us through His Church — then we will be transformed by the Holy Spirit.”
“We should realize that just as Christ founded the Church and the Church is His Body, we who are in Christ hurt not only God when we sin but the Church. One only has to think of how the sins of Christians damage the visible sign of Christ in the world through His Church.”
“What steps must one follow in order to celebrate this sacrament fruitfully?
1. Examination of conscience (review one’s relationship with God and others)
2. Contrition/repentance (sorrow for one’s sins and a desire to not sin again)
3. Confess sins (tell one’s sins to a priest)
4. Satisfaction (perform the penance given by the priest)”
“The priest will then impose a penance. He may ask you to say certain prayers or to do a charitable work. If for some reason, you feel you cannot do it — for instance, you don’t know the prayer he asks you to do as a penance — you should tell him. He may modify the penance or tell you where you can find the prayer. Your fulfillment of the penance is called making satisfaction and it is an important element of the sacrament.”
“Some sample penances include but certainly are not limited to:
Say three Our Fathers
Perform an act of kindness
Say a prayer for the person you have hurt”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. This little volume is a n excellent little read. From what I have read from Michael’s pen and in this series I am not surprised! It is easy to engage with. This volume could be read by a secondary school student. It is an excellent volume that any Catholic or any Christian would benefit from reading. I should note I read and reviewed this volume in 2009, but wanted to read it again while working through the whole series.
I just wish this book and the series were still in print, I have already tracked down a few used copies to pass on to others.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
John Paul II's Biblical Way of the Cross - with Amy Welborn
A Pocket Guide to Confession - 2009 Review
A Pocket Guide to Confession - 2009 Review
A Pocket Guide to Confession - 2025 Review
A Pocket Guide to the Mass
The How-to Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
The Church's Most Powerful Novenas
How To Get The Most Out Of The Eucharist
Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries - with Amy Welborn
The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life
Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, & Glorious Mysteries - with Amy Welborn
Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with Fulton J. Sheen
A Pocket Guide to the Mass
The How-to Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
The Church's Most Powerful Novenas
How To Get The Most Out Of The Eucharist
Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries - with Amy Welborn
The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life
Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, & Glorious Mysteries - with Amy Welborn
Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with Fulton J. Sheen
...
Books in the OSV Pocket Guide Series:
A Pocket Guide to the Meaning of Life - Peter J. Kreeft
A Pocket Guide to Living the Divine Mercy - George W. Kosicki
...
Books in the Handy Little Series from OSV:
The Handy Little Guide to Adoration - Michelle Jones Schroeder
The Handy Little Guide to Confession - Michelle Jones Schroeder
The Handy Little Guide to the Holy Spirit - Michelle Schroeder
The Handy Little Guide to the Lent - Michelle Schroeder
The Handy Little Guide to Novenas - Allison Gingras
The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours - Barb Szyszkiewicz
…
Books in the OSV Companion in Faith Series:
For Those Who Grieve - Jeannie Ewing
Living in Peace - Father Jeffrey Kirby
The Beatitudes - Kathleen M Basi
The Lord's Prayer - T.J. Burdick
The Power of Forgiveness - Patrice Fagnant-Macarthur
…
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