Let's repeat steps 3 &4.  They are:

3.  I will know myself; both to determine what sins I’ve committed and also so that I know what my “hooks” are.  I will examine my conscience and my life so that I really begin to know my sins and myself.

4.  I will confess my sins to a priest; a general confession preferably, but at least I will make a sincere confession, being genuinely contrite.

Until this point, there really isn't much difference between the method I'm describing and AA's.  Now, we need to take the "Catholic" path if we're really going to use our hook to our own spiritual advantage and that advantage is to make us saints for God.  Just so you know, there isn't anybody in heaven who isn't a saint so don't be scared or put off by that term.  You certainly want to go to heaven, don't you dear friend?

Step 3: KNOW THYSELF.

I wish I could tell you that this step is done once and then its forgotten.  Sorry!  You will repeat this step over and over again throughout the rest of your life.  I know that I have and I do struggle every day to know more and more about myself and the state of my own soul.  You will too.  The process of knowing yourself is kind of like peeling an onion.  Besides making your eyes water, it's made up of layer upon layer of onion skin starting with the brown paper-like skin on the surface.  Our souls are like an onion. 

If you are reading this, than I think it safe to assume that you, like me, are addicted to some mortal sin.  Obviously, this addiction is that brown outer layer of the onion.  It's easy for us (and sometimes others) to see this side of ourselves.  This is the first layer of the onion that you have to peel off in order to get all the way down to the tender center.

Find yourself a quiet place where you won't be disturbed with a quarter hour of time that you can just think.  A sunny fall day and a park bench in a quiet park or cemetery makes a great combination for learning about your "onion" of a soul.  Put yourself in the presence of God by imagining God in the Sun or a statue or lights or whatever works for your imagination.  Ask God for the grace to see yourself as He sees you.  Close your eyes or stare into space-whatever works.  Soon, you will start to see a "parade" of your sins.  Continue watching the "parade" until your head is full or your mind wanders.  A word of warning:  satan will know exactly what you are doing.  Expect some sweet sexy thing to walk into view.  Fight the temptation!  Change your position, close your eyes, don't give up!  He who dares, wins.  Pray for grace.  God will NOT let you down.  After you are finished.  Tell God, "Thanks" for giving you the grace to get this far and for the grace to do a good examination of conscience.

Repeat this step until you get the nerve to actually go to the Sacrament of Confession.  Write down your sins if needs be.  Try to recall all of your mortal sins.  I have available a very handy and quite thorough examination of conscience. If for some reason it's not available, contact me at postmaster@blessedmargaret.org and I'll email or snail mail one to you.

Step 4: CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL.

Go to a good traditional Catholic priest.  If you don't know of one near where you live, contact me at postmaster@blessedmargaret.org with your zip code and I'll give you the location of a priest near you.  Make sure that you've done Step 3 well.  Take your list of sins if you wrote them down with you, verify the day and time of the confessions.  Make sure you know how to get there if you've never been there before.  Dress nicely.  Get there early.  Screw up your courage!  Satan will try every trick he knows to get you to wimp out.  Don't let him win.  This is YOUR soul we are talking about.  If you had cancer you wouldn't be afraid of going to the physician's office would you?  The priest is God's spiritual physician.  He has the medicine your soul needs but he doesn't make house calls.  You have to go to his "office".

Once in the church, find a convenient pew, and once again, put yourself in the presence of God.  Don't be embarrassed to "talk" to the statues.  Tell Him how sincerely sorry you are.  Don't be afraid to cry.  Ask for the grace to make a good confession.  (If you haven't been to Confession for awhile, contact me at postmaster@blessedmargaret.org and I'll send you some information on the "nuts and bolts" of going to confession). 

Once you have your act together, get in the confessional line and wait your turn.  Go into "the box" when it's your turn and confess your sins.  Just as a refresher, it might go something like this:

You: "Bless me Father for I have sinned, it's been 2 years since my last confession.  I did the penance but I committed adultery monthly over a period of 3 months, masturbated twice a week for 2 years..." {state your mortal sins first: the sin and the approximate number of times or over what period of time you did them.  Next, stating one or more of your venial sins is fruitful, too.  You MUST state your mortal sins; stating venial sins is optional but useful for your salvation.}  If the priest asks you any questions answer them truthfully.  Complete stating your current sins.  End by saying, "I'm sorry for these and all the sins of my past life especially sins of murder (or some other sin you've committed but already confessed)".  The priest will tell you to make an act of contrition - do so and he will give you a penance to do.  He'll usually end with something like, "Now go in peace and pray for me".  Exit the box.  Return to your pew, say your penance if it's one that can be done like a decade of the Rosary and then do what I call a Colloquoy ("call a kwee").  Just talk to God, just like you would if He were standing right there.  Tell him how deeply sorry you are.  Do a colloquoy with the Blessed Virgin, too as well as with any of your favorite saints.  When you are finished, bless yourself, and go on back to your business. 

THE GENERAL CONFESSION

If you ever get the great privilege of going to an Ignatian Retreat (that is, one modeled after St. Ignatius' 30-day retreat) or possibly other types of retreat as well, you make a general confession.  What is that, you might ask?  It's a re-telling of all the sins of your life, to include already confessed sins, in the confessional.  If you've already done a general confession, you tell all of the sins since your last general confession (which, believe me, is a whole lot easier!).  My first general confession, it took me 3 days to prepare for it and several pages of writing.  I had, dare I say it, about 17,000 mortal sins on it.  God forgive me!  What a cleansing that was!  Afterwards, everyone goes and burns his sins in a bucket or stove.  The symbolism of this act is very powerful!  It's tough but very rewarding.  The success of your first retreat will probably hinge on how well you do your first general confession.

THE REVOLVING DOOR

My dear friend, please don't get the idea that going to Confession one time will be the "magic" cure.  It won't be.  If my life in any way resembles the typical pattern for souls, you will need to go to Confession on a very regular basis.  Going once simply alerts satan that he has to re-double his efforts to keep you ensnared in your sinful addiction.  Expect a counterattack.  It will come - I absolutely guarantee it!  If you have steeled your will, however, you won't give up the combat.  You'll pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get right back into the confessional.  This revolving door of going in and out of grace will produce 1 of 2 possible outcomes: either the sin will leave or you will stop fighting the addiction and surrender to it.  God can't stand to be in the presence of sin and satan can't stand to be in the presence of grace.  One will leave.  For the sake of your soul I pray that it's satan that leaves.  But I have confidence in you.  I know you will persevere (if you've tolerated my blitherings to this point - I know you can persevere through anything!).

Enough already.  Go get a cup of coffee or whatever beverage appeals to you and meet me at Steps 5 & 6.  God bless your efforts and pray for me - a sinner.