Q. I am not so sure I am scrupulous, but I constantly think I am committing grave sins of omission or mortal sins. I never know if what I said was good enough, or if the lighthearted or nice manner in which I acted was truly enough for me not to have committed a sin of omission. I feel guilty.
A. One doubt or one question is not enough to determine if a person is scrupulous or not, but, based on my pastoral experience, you should spend some time discerning your experience with a trusted pastor or spiritual director. There seems to be some scrupulosity present, and you need to determine if it is a tender conscience or if something more is going on.
Q. I just went to confession, and when I was saying the Act of Contrition, I started doubting if I had confessed one of my sins properly, so I stopped saying the Act, and I was going to ask the priest, but he finished the prayer for me and absolved me. Was this confession valid?
A. Your confession was completely valid. The priest was just helping you out because he could sense your anxiety. The Act of Contrition has nothing to do with validity, it is your response to the outpouring of the sacramental grace that is celebrated