u/Nop_Kirav_21

I fell in Mortal Siʼn last Tuesday, and I was hoping I could confess it on Wednesday at morning with my local priest, so I texted him. But, unfortunately, I couldn't do it, he was on a "one-week-long" vacation, in Fatima - Portugal.

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Then, I started to search for other parishes in my city so I could confess the sins and commune on Sunday, but it didn't work.

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But, on Thursday, I went to an Adoration Mass with a friend of mine, in my local parish - the priest who was going to celebrate it was a "substitute". He already celebrated some Masses there on the parish, but I didn't like him very much, he's not too serious on the sermons, and sometimes read the prayers on mass too quickly, as if he were in a hurry to finish.

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Celebrating the Mass without the possibility of commune was something very sad for me. After it, I would go to a Parish 20-30 minutes away, because I knew there would be a priest there to confess.

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But then I thought: "What if I asked him for a quick confession?" And, at the end of the Mass, I went to him, the substitute priest that I didn't like at all.

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"Father, can I confess urgently? It will not take too much time". "Sure!" He answered.

We were going to a room to do it, but then two old ladies stopped him, asking him to go until the exit door to take a photo with him.

"No!"

"But, father, we are already leaving, and we will not be able to take this photo with you any other day!"

"I said no. Now I'm going to attend the confessions!"

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We entered the room, he made the initial prayer and then he said: "Tell me, Gil, what happened" (That's my name)

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I confessed, he absolved me and then gave me some advices, saying my name again. But I've never talked to him before, so I asked "How do you know my name?"

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He was confused, and said "Did I say your name?". "Yeah, and two times" I responded.

"Well... I think that's something from the Holy Spirit so!" And then we leave.

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That was very special for me, specially because until that moment I didn't like to go to the masses he was celebrating, but he attended my confession and gave me priority. I thank God for this experience

So, we met at the beginning of last year, when we started university. At first, I didn't know he was a christian, but during a conversation about the Flood with another friend of ours, it seemed that he, at least, belived in God. Some time later, a friend asked us about our religions, and, for my surprise, he said he was a lutheran.

Later on, while talking with him, he told me that he hadn't been to church in years, and he used to attend a lutheran church when younger (he's like 19yo) - I also notice that he didn't know some basic things about the faith, so I would occasionally explain one thing or another to him.

Anyway, last year I was finishing OCIA, after spending months studyng the catholic faith as I sought to convert. Since I alredy knew quite a few things, I finished it early, and my catechist invited me to help him with the following year's class (2026).

I invited my friend, and he agreed and started going to the classes. We also bought a (catholic) Bible, and I taught him how to pray the Rosary.

I tried to invited him to Mass sometimes, but he never showed up - until last week, when he finally accepted the invitation and attended his first Mass! We also went together last wednesday, and he wants to go again this week

I never imagined that this kind of thing would happen, but there is. I hope he converts, he still isn't sure about all those things, but I thing it's just a matter of time.

Anyway, thanks for reading it, God bless you!