Ever keep a "sin list"?

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I hadn't done this since I was a small child, but this year on Ash Wednesday,for some reason, I decided to once again, try to keep a "sin list" this Lent..it's just a small piece of paper that I keep in my pocket during the day, and when I recognize that I've sinned, I take it out and jot down what I've done..at the time, I ask God's forgiveness, and then keep the paper for the confessional at the end of the week. I have to tell you that when you do this, it is a humbling experience..at least it was for me..that small piece of paper burned a large hole in my apron pocket..a constant reminder for me of losing my temper, pride, gossip, impatience, things I would not have ordinarily given a single thought to in my busy day..but that paper was THERE..reminding me..we all know when we've committed mortal sins..at least I HOPE everyone knows! Yet so many of those other sins seem sometimes to get lost in the shuffle of our busy lives..who would think that something as simple as a piece of scrap paper in your pocket could help bring us just a little closer to being more aware of pleasing God?

-- Lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), March 24, 2004

Answers

1) i'd be very concerned about that falling into the wrong hands.

2) I'd need a rather large notebook.

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), March 25, 2004.


LOL..Dan, the reason it's a " small" piece of paper is that it's folded up many times over...

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), March 25, 2004.

That is acutally a very good idea Lesley. In the Spiritual Exercises that St. Ignatius of Loyola he says to do something just like that. But in his case he just wants the person to concentrate on one sin at a time. Not to say that you can't do your own thing, but you might try that too.

-- Scott (papasquat10@hotmail.com), March 25, 2004.

When I was about seven and was being prepared for Fisrt Communion the chatechist suggested that we do something like the little piece of paper and go through the 10 Commandments we just had learned by heart. I had a hard time writing anything about some of them:

-- not desiring your neighbors wife

-- not taking Godīs name in vain

-- not killing and so forth and so on.

The only commandment I seemed to break was the one referring to mother and father. An occasional quarrel with brothers or sisters.

So I went to the priest and I told him about my problem. He laughed and told me to keep being innocent and he wished I'd never sin against the other commandments. Hard to keep but I said I'll try.

As time went by I learned that it was better to have a good act of contrition and be really repentant about the evil I as doing than to have an exact list of sins.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), March 26, 2004.


Enrique, of course you are correct..my goal is not to have some sort of perfect list to recite to the priest..the purpose is to help me to be more aware of sinning each day and to help me to recall those sins in the confessional.It is also an exercise in humility.

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), March 26, 2004.


You are so right, Lesley, in going through your day at night and asking for forgiveness for the little sins of everyday life. After all, tht's what we are supposed to do every day as we say the Our Father: forgive us our faults as we forgive others...

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), March 27, 2004.


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