Definitions HQ

Confession (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not an opportunity for the Omniscient One to find out anything about the person confessing, but instead the person confessing finds out something about himself.

Confession (n.) brings ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an almost voluptuous pleasure when a grief meets a sympathetic eye, like the pleasure said to accompany blood-letting.

Confession (n.) leaves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a person as alone as the dying, whether thousands wait for him outside or no one does.

Confession (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a tally of particular sins but grasping before God that sin hangs together, and that coherence must be found from the particular, not the general.

Confession (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a seeming detour to the altar that eases rather than burdens; in the confessional no one accuses you unless you accuse yourself.

Confession (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠heavier than sin's secret itself, so human compassion invented relief: the quiet church, the hidden confessor, then confession in secret to God alone; the sinful woman chose the opposite, a banquet.