The Saints I Go to for Help - Preparing for Confession

Before I go to Confession, I find my mind goes blank when it comes to remembering my sins. I do examine my conscience nightly. Yet, right before confession, I feel like I do when I try to mentally remember my grocery list without writing them down on paper. I walk into the grocery store and sure enough, I forget everything I was supposed to remember to buy. That is what happens to me when I go to confession without asking for heavenly assistance.

First of all, I approach Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, and I ask Him to help me make a good confession.

I then pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind, my heart and my soul.  I pray that I will remember all my sins and more importantly, that I feel true contrition for my sins.

Next, I pray to our Blessed Mother, for help.  She is our mother.  She knows that her wayward children need her motherly assistance, as well as her love and understanding.

Then I invoke the help of the saints.

I ask for Saint Damien's intercession because he understands the difficulties we sometimes encounter going to confession.  He had to shout out his sins, which was very humiliating to this holy priest who needed so badly to confess his sins to a priest.

Another of my favorite saints is St. John Vianney.  He was so humble yet his confessional line was very long.  The people in Ars knew he was a saintly priest who would understand their sins and failings and give them the spiritual help they needed.

Then there is Saint Padre Pio.  I ask for his intercession when I have a sin that is difficult to confess.  He was not a warm and fuzzy kind of priest.  If you tried to conceal a grievous sin, he would tell you in no uncertain words that you had better confess sincerely and he would order you to get out of the confessional. 

They never let me down.  They all help me.  I only wish I had thought to ask them for help years ago.  With their help and guidance, confession does not cause me needless anxiety.  I prepare for confession, I ask for help, I confess my sins, I am absolved by a priest and I leave the confessional with a profound joy in my heart.

Jesus, I trust in You.