The voice of experience

The new priest is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks a more experienced priest to sit in on his sessions. After the new priest hears his first two confessions, the experienced priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a moment for a couple of suggestions: "Try crossing your arms over your chest, maybe rub your chin with one hand, try saying things like 'Yes, I see,' 'Yes, go on,' or 'I understand'." The new priest tries them out, still a bit awkward, but yes, these could work.

"Now," says the experienced priest, "don't you think that is a little better than slapping your knee, laughing out loud, and saying, 'No way ... what happened next?' "

from http://onceuponasmile.blogspot.com