Confession, Consciousness, and Who Youāre Really Talking To
Iāve been thinking lately about the idea of confessing to a priest instead of directly to God. Even if a belief isnāt fully true, I tend to think thereās usually a small truth tucked inside it somewhere. So whatās the truth here? Right now, Iām leaning toward this: confession may be less about who youāre confessing to, and more about what energy or frequency youāre feeding when you do it. Guilt, humility, release, accountability, forgivenessāthose are internal states. Maybe no other being is actually required for that process to work. As a kid, I thought about it in a much simpler way: If God can hear me everywhere⦠why do I need a ācellphone to Godā via a priest? That question earned me some very intense stares in religion class š But honestly, it still feels valid. As an adult, I can see more layers. Thereās the human aspect: saying things out loud, being witnessed, ritual, structure, tradition, and accountability. Thereās also community psychologyāsometimes people need a mirror, a guide, or a safe container to let something go. And for some, the priest represents authority, absolution, or a symbolic stand-in for God that makes forgiveness feel real. So maybe the answer isnāt either/or. Maybe itās a little of this and a little of that. Maybe confession works because it shifts your internal state, focuses your intention, and moves you from shame into releaseāregardless of whether itās God, a priest, a journal, or your own quiet thoughts doing the listening. Curious what you all think. Sincerely, the little Catholic girl who asked too many questions and survived š