your words or actions? Have you stolen, neglected your duty, let
things go or injured someone?
Please suggest to me a simple way to confess.
You should speak to your confessor this way:
Honorable, dear Sir: Would you please hear my confession and pronounce
forgiveness according to God's will.
He will respond: Yes. Please go ahead.
Then say:
I confess in the presence of God that I am a poor sinner and guilty of
every kind of sin. I specifically admit to you that I am a servant,
maid, etc., but I'm afraid that I have served my master unfaithfully.
>From time to time, I have not done what I was told to do. I have
angered them and caused them to swear at me. I have neglected my duty
and allowed damage to be done. My words and actions have been shameful.
I have been angry with my peers. I have complained about my master's
wife and sworn at her, etc. I am sorry for all of this and ask for
grace. I want to do better.
A master or a lady of the house should speak this way:
I specifically confess to you that I have not faithfully led my
children, servants or wife to God's glory. I have cursed. I have set a
bad example with my obscene words and actions. I have hurt my neighbor
and spoken evil things about him. I have charged him too much, cheated
him and sold him badly made goods.
Let him also confess any other sins against God's commandments and his
place in life, etc.
If a person is not burdened with sins such as these or greater sins, he
should not look for other sins or invent them, because that would turn
confession into torture. Instead, he should mention one or two that he
knows about. For example: specifically I confess that I once cursed.
Once I used inappropriate language. Once I neglected to do this or that
thing, etc. Let that be enough.
If you do not know of anything you have done wrong (which does not seem
possible), do not say anything in specific, but receive forgiveness
based upon the general confession you make to God in the presence of
your confessor.
After this, the Confessor will say:
May God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith!
Then he will ask:
Do you also believe that the forgiveness I give is God's forgiveness?
Then you will answer:
Yes, dear sir.
After this, he will say:
May what you believe happen to you. And by the command of my Lord
Jesus, I forgive your sins in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. Amen. Go in peace! The confessor will know how to use
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