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Mgr. Louis de Ségur: Short Answers to Common Objections Against Religion - 1908
FORTY-THIRD OBJECTION. IT IS SO TIRESOME TO GO TO CONFESSION.
Answer. Accordingly, I do not advise you to go for the sake of amusement!
Every thing which is good and useful is not always amusing. It is not amusing to take physic when one is ill. However, one takes it for the sake of being cured. It is not amusing to work from morning till night to gain a livelihood for oneself and family, to lay by savings for one's old age. But then it is useful, it is necessary to do so; and one works, although the work may be laborious, disagreeable, difficult.
So it is with confession. It is a remedy, a disagreeable remedy, so much the more disagreeable, in proportion as we have more need of it; but then it is an indispensable remedy. It is not for my amusement that I go to confession, but to be cured of my spiritual maladies, and to preserve my spiritual health.
Have a little more energy, then. Do not allow yourself to be overcome with the great disease of our age, which is a weakening of the relish for duty. Duty, that great and sublime word, conveys no meaning to many minds. They comprehend nothing but pleasure.
Beware of this deplorable weakness, and remember the judgments of God!
FORTY-THIRD OBJECTION. IT IS SO TIRESOME TO GO TO CONFESSION.
Answer. Accordingly, I do not advise you to go for the sake of amusement!
Every thing which is good and useful is not always amusing. It is not amusing to take physic when one is ill. However, one takes it for the sake of being cured. It is not amusing to work from morning till night to gain a livelihood for oneself and family, to lay by savings for one's old age. But then it is useful, it is necessary to do so; and one works, although the work may be laborious, disagreeable, difficult.
So it is with confession. It is a remedy, a disagreeable remedy, so much the more disagreeable, in proportion as we have more need of it; but then it is an indispensable remedy. It is not for my amusement that I go to confession, but to be cured of my spiritual maladies, and to preserve my spiritual health.
Have a little more energy, then. Do not allow yourself to be overcome with the great disease of our age, which is a weakening of the relish for duty. Duty, that great and sublime word, conveys no meaning to many minds. They comprehend nothing but pleasure.
Beware of this deplorable weakness, and remember the judgments of God!
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre