Perfect Contrition?

When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth? 

Luke 18:8

"No."  That was the answer I received one Saturday afternoon in The Box.  Once again I found myself using tissue during Confession.  I always hate when this happens....is this a Convert thing or what?  I hate leaving the box puffy, red-eyed...sniffling, sniveling. ugh.  I lovelovelove The Box, I just hate, as always, that other people are on the earth at the moment I exit.  So the "No" came when I asked if one can arrive at Perfect Contrition while on the earth.  I soon learned that Father was concerned that I was adopting a:  just confess it to God-mindset... a Protestant mindset.  After we both "understood" one another we did discuss "the contritions".  The reason why I ended up crying - you know I will not reveal - but I left convinced that I would investigate this question further.

My beloved CCC says:


Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again." (CCC 1451)


When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity).  Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have reourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible." (CCC 1452) 


When I heard Father's "no", I felt as I did once, long ago, during a bad acid trip.  Hallucination/fairy tale/fantasy land feelings instantly began swarming my brain.  Multi-tasking as usual, I continued my good confession while reelin' in the years in my poor overworked mind.  I remembered that even a "habit of contrition" rarely leads one to "perfection" - it is found with grave difficulty.  I also recalled a sermon of Luis of Granada called,  Contrition and Satisfaction.  He said that contrition freed man not only from the guilt, but the weight of and pain of sin.  He used my patron,  St. Mary Magdalene as his example.  I thought of a novena to St. Anthony of Padua when we pray:  give us perfect contrition.  Now I am thinking about our modern discussions which seem to always disintegrate into a Purgatory debate... Alas.  Or in some circles a discussion about St. Thomas Aquinas and the "Baptism of Desire".  Alas, again.


So, what to do now is the question.  I think I'll take a look at this:

I must be one of the most thankful Converts in town.