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Thank you for your kind answer. I think what happens sometimes, and not just with Catholics, is we forget to forgive ourselves after we have accepted God's forgiveness. I remember once when I was about seven years old, my Mom had me bring her purse into the house for her. I took a quarter out of it, thinking I could buy some candy (back then, 25 cents bought a LOT of candy). I felt so guilty about it, that I gave it to my Mom and said I found it on the playground - I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. She told me I should take it to the lost and found at school. I can't remember now if that is what I actually did or not - I know I didn't spend it - but I probably confessed that sin more than ten times at confession. I forget how many prayers of penance I had been assigned. I STILL never forgot it and for a long time I still felt the guilt. I have since told Mom all about it, but I remember that guilt stayed with me for a long time.

I know Mom has things in her life for which she is deeply ashamed - don't we all - and I believe that may be the impetus for the feeling of having to suffer for her sins even after she has been to confession for them. I think the purpose for some of these emotions is to remind us of the consequences spiritually of our disobedience. But God does not intend for us to wallow in our brokenness rather he desires for us to arise and continue the race brushing off the dirt that stuck to us when we fell. I pray she really does know she IS forgiven, she really does BELIEVE God has forgiven her. Thanks again for your thoughts.

The virtue of going to one confessor is that sooner or later he's going to say,"Wait, you already confessed that. We're done with it.If y0ou're still wrestling with it, okay, but the Lord has forgotten it.

I think all to many parents use religion and the child's openness and need for God as a way to try to control with guilt. I think parents don't get how cripplingly guilty children can feel or how hard it is for a child to tread the path of virtue.

So there are a lot of adults who still are essentially pathological about guilt and God. You may hear from the pulpit of the marvellous love of God, but when yu get home you get, "How do you think Jesus feels when he sees you doing something like that?" That's going to leave a mark! I will join my prayers to yours. I also would like your mother to trust in Jesus.