During the summer between sixth and seventh grade I was caught shoplifing (that’s breaking the Seventh Commandment of God for you heathens out there). My Dad picked me up at the store from the store detectives and boy was he disappointed in me. I think I felt like St. Peter after denying Christ.
I was sorry and not just because I was caught but because I KNEW I was sinful.
That same day later in the afternoon, a Saturday, he brought me to Confession at Church of the Resurrection in Sunnyvale, CA and I honestly confessed my SIN before God (and the priest).
Afterwards, I never stole anything again....except I took one of those 3m stickiepads from work once.
I have other true stories about me getting in trouble, but never in real big trouble if you know what I mean.
Hey God, thanks for forgiving me and giving me another chance.
Your perpetual prodigal prudent pious perpetrator in Christ.
OMG - is that wrong? I didn't know.
Just the other day I saw a guy at the airport in one of the airline lounges fill BOTH pockets with handfuls of the flavored half-and-half containers. His pockets were bulging. It looked very strange. That had to be a mortal sin.
I was about 5th grade when I got caught shoplifting. My buddy couldn’t sit down for a week. I couldn’t look my dad in the eye for a week - he too was so disappointed.
For the rest of my school years I wouldn’t even pick up a pencil off the ground in case someone might come looking for it. I think my buddy progressed to stealing bigger and better things after he moved away.
I think it was about the 6th grade that I finally “got” part of what Christ was about. Thank goodness, or I would have progressed from the bad things I did to even worse. But as I said previously - not perfect in my later years. But - no more fires or vandalism, no stealing, no fighting. Drinking and doing stupid things took a while to overcome years later.