A girl was once listening to a sermon. Among other things, the priest said that if people want to make a good confession they must be more sorry for their sins than for anything else. When the sermon was over, the girl remained behind until she could approach the priest. She said to him,

"I think I made a bad confession. You said in your sermon today that if we want to make a good confession, our sorrow for sin must be greater than our sorrow for anything else. When I went to confession, I remember that I did not cry for my sins. But when my poor mother died, I remember that I cried very much. So I am afraid that my sorrow for my mother's death was greater than my sorrow for my sins."

"Answer me one question," said the priest kindly. "Tell me, if you could bring your mother back to life again by committing a mortal sin, would you commit a mortal sin?"

"Oh no," said the girl, "I would not commit a mortal sin for anything."

"Then do not be afraid. Although you cried for your mother's death and did not cry for your sins, yet you were really in your heart more sorry for your sins than for your mother's death."