Foc for confession VS. Foc for advice

edited September 2006 in Faith Issues
which one?

Comments

  • hmmmm... yes i see what your saying... see when you tell someone your every sin, he knows your weaknesses. from there he is able to build you up, to make you a better person. i have no problem confessing to an FOC that is close to me, on contrast, its easier. like think of it this way... u are close to a friend, n u tell them everything... they are able to tell you what to do because they know what you cant... i hope that made any sense at all...
  • lol yea i see my FOC like every other day so that helps too... u could try going more often... i have it easy.. my FOC is nice n sweet but he knows how and when to get though... he also relates to you and gives you advice thats realistic... hmm ur in a problem here arent you... can anyone else help?
  • hmm i do understand what you mean... but like see when i confess to abouna he doesnt just tell me its ok dont do it again, he tells me how to stop and what i can do about it... nobody can do that other than your father of confession because hes the only person you tell your sins...
  • u know it's better to have a father of confession and a spiritual father. u really don't have to get guidience from ur foc u can get it from ur spiritual father or ur ss servant or just anyone that's wiser in their spirituality than u. i'm not saying u shouldn't get advice from ur foc but sometimes u just need to talk to someone else like if u're a girl and u need advice from a girl u can talk to ur sunday school servant or something like that. hope this helps! :)
  • i have to say that i disagree. first of all, you do not confess your every sin to your sunday school servant. only your FOC knows your weaknesses. another thing is that only a priest has the wisdom and knowledge of a priest. a sunday school servant also has less experience than abouna. if you can find a person you can confess to and also take guidance from, than than thats a very good thing in my opinion. <<<<if you can find someone like this, i believe its the best. if you cant, than try to find someone you can confess to and another to take advice from.
  • Why don't you try going to a different Foc? Like one who is more sensitive, like you said?

    Just an idea.
  • Sorry for that, my mistake. Anyways, yeah i think it would be technically ok, in my opinion at least, to seek someone other than your Foc, out for advice but the better thing to do would be to have a Foc who you feel comfortable with and who knows and cares about you to a point where he can give you particular advice based on your strenghts and weaknesses. We call him our FATHER of Confession because as the first word implies, he's supposed to be our father in many senses. He's supposed to be watching out for us, taking care of us, forgiving us, etc, but all on a personal level, in my opinion at least.

    You could always just go for the sacrement though, and i think that's fine, but there's something better to do.

  • That's a really good question and I honestly don't know and your right, it's a lot easier to do on paper.

    Anybody else have any ideas?
  • your question marmar, depends on what you are looking for in a father of confession.
  • Well, we confess because it's a sacrement, because it's to GOD first and foremost (asking him as in the "lost son" parable to accept you again), and because, as a side note, it serves to help you also psychologically, in additon of course to guide your way to the eternity...

    It is on this side note that we dwell in, and forget the big picture...if we don't, or try not to, then we'll accept our FOC's better and not be so picky! (We AREN'T in WalMart after all people! :))

    Any FOC GOD chooses for you is the best for you...but try to understand him...and if you have anything against him, well, tell it to him like a child to his/her loving father....he won't say anything about it...just be truthful and be focused on you goal (your eternity)

    This isn't talk on paper....this is what the churches teaches her children...i.e.: a way of life....


    Good luck, and may God guide your path always...


    In HIS Name,

    RFZ
  • this really relates to me at this moment! it took a long long time for me to find my FOC because i not only need my FOC for the holy sacrement but i need him to guide me through all my decisions.
    he checks on me all the time and i update him with EVERYTHING all the time!
    he lives 3 hours away but i make sure to go see him once a month. i LITERALLY have him on speed dial. lol
    its great!
    i love what we have and i feel like he blesses me through EVERY step i make.
  • Ya Marmar:

    Let me ask you a question...are you God's child or not? Obviously, you are, and you are very precious to Him...be very very sure of that! Do you then think that a VERY important issue like chossing an FOC is beyond HIS control? Of course not! Don't worry...it is HE who chose your father confessor...yeah...you did the action, but who moved you? Yeah...YOUR father ya Marmar!

    Your FOC CANNOT absolve you of your bad intentions and bad ways of living and so forth without him being your friend...he doesn't take your list of sins like a shopping list and brings them up to the sanctuary!! of course not! A friend, especially an experienced and old friend like an FOC, and ESPECIALLY that he IS your FOC after all, is the best person to talk to, and the person person to be a friend of, and a best FOC too...but try to understand him....nothing's easy....but at least he is trying to understand you...now you do the opposite...

    So yeah...your FOC is your friend, your advisor, and your FOC, and like "hope4pure" said...

    "i love what we have and i feel like he blesses me through EVERY step i make."

    EXACTLY my feelings too...

    May God bless you Marmar...and seriously...if you wanna go through this path, you can, even if your FOC is a thousand miles away...but pray and be ready for anything God asks you to do to really confess...REALLY....


    In HIS Name,


    Rami Fouad Zachari
  • I think that rf_zachari brings up a good point, even though technically it was you that made the choice of your Foc, if you prayed to the Lord, then you should be reassured and know that it wan't beyond His reach to intercede, all we have to do is have faith and try and see God's Hand aiding us. And practically speaking, I believe that if you feel that your Foc isn't as responsive or as interesting or understanding as you feel he should be, you should tell him.

    All priests are genuinely concerned and interested about you, and as your shepard they should be, but honestly, they're very busy people, and sometimes they just get bogged down with so much work that they unintentionely don't show the proper concern or emotions. Then sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that they don't care, or can't fully comprehend what we're saying, and the devil will try and push those ideas into our minds so we stop going to confession all together. However, the righteous people are those who take their religion and spirituality seriously, so we have to strive to open a strong relationship with our Foc, whoever they may be.

    I'm not saying that the above is always the case though, but rather that it's something to keep in mind. I'm just saying that we should all take our confession seriously but each situation is unique and here we can only give general advice, but anyways, may the Lord be with you.
  • exactly


    In HIS Name,


    RFZ
  • why cant you confess to the priest at your church?
  • how about any of the nearby churches? there has to be somebody somewhere
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