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1. I think many of us Catholics find it difficult going to Confession because it's not easy to admit when we've sinned, especially in a serious way. The keys for me have always been that a) it is Jesus in the Confessional, b) He knows all of my sins already, and c) confessing them to Him is the sign that I am truly sorry for them and don't want to commit them any more.
2. We need to go to a priest in the Sacrament of Penance for mortal sins, mainly. That's why our Lord instituted this sacrament (John 20:20-23). Our venial sins can be forgiven outside the sacrament (the Eucharist, a sincere Act of Contrition, etc.), but forgiveness of mortal sins is reserved for Penance for the following main reasons:
- we receive God's sanctifying Grace in Penance (can't get that on our own)
- our sins are taken to the Cross of Christ and forgiven in Penance in a way that we can't do on our own
- we know we are forgiven (we hear that our sins have been absolved by Christ)
- Christ's Grace in Penance heals us and gives us the strength to overcome the sins in the future
- the priest can give us advice on how to avoid the sins in the future
Another way of understanding the need for Confession is to look at when we sin against each other. When we seriously sin against our neighbor, it is necessary for us to go directly to him/her to be forgiven. For example, if I lied to a buddy of mine about a serious matter and then have a change of heart and want to be forgiven, I can either choose to tell him about it and ask for forgiveness or simply assume that he will forgive me. If I choose to tell him directly what I did, it is more difficult but I hear from him that I've been forgiven. If all things have been fully restored, our friendship is whole again and actually even stronger.
If I just assume that he will forgive me, I choose the easier (and cowardly) route but I don't know that he has forgiven me. Actually, if I don't confess to him, he can't forgive me. How can he forgive me if he hasn't heard my sin and that I'm sorry about it? Our friendship is still broken and wounded, and not as strong as it would appear. Many years may go by with the wound still there; like any wound, it begins to grow over time unless it is
Another way of understanding the need for Confession is to look at when we sin against each other. When we seriously sin against our neighbor, it is necessary for us to go directly to him/her to be forgiven. For example, if I lied to a buddy of mine about a serious matter and then have a change of heart and want to be forgiven, I can either choose to tell him about it and ask for forgiveness or simply assume that he will forgive me. If I choose to tell him directly what I did, it is more difficult but I hear from him that I've been forgiven. If all things have been fully restored, our friendship is whole again and actually even stronger.
If I just assume that he will forgive me, I choose the easier (and cowardly) route but I don't know that he has forgiven me. Actually, if I don't confess to him, he can't forgive me. How can he forgive me if he hasn't heard my sin and that I'm sorry about it? Our friendship is still broken and wounded, and not as strong as it would appear. Many years may go by with the wound still there; like any wound, it begins to grow over time unless it is
properly treated.
In Confession, the priest acts in persona Christi - we tell our sins directly to Christ.
3. Jesus gives the power to the Apostles to forgive sins at Pentecost in St. John's Gospel (20:20-23).
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What is the difference between a mortal sin and a venial sin?
What are some examples of mortal sins? Venial?
4 comments:
Growing up, I would never go to Confession at my home parish. I would go to a neighboring parish. I was afraid that my parish priest would recognize my voice. I didn't want my priest to think badly of me.
Only recently have I started going to Confession at my parish church. As a challenge to myself, I now go face-to-face.
I still struggle with the same sins, but now I can attest to some of the things that you mentioned here Greg. In a way, by going to Confession more frequently, and in my home parish, and even face-to-face, I feel a deeper conviction not to re-commit the same sins. I feel as though the priests are becomming like spiritual counselors to me because the more I share with them (my thoughts, actions or lack-there of), they can better guide me and relate to me.
It can be very humiliating and embarrasing but, to my surprise, I have not felt judged by them (the priests), but rather, I've felt a greater sense of compassion. The more frequently I share (confess) and the more honestly and openly I talk about my sins and temptations, the more it seems to help me in the end.
I am very grateful for the sacrament of Confession. I could go on and on about my own experiences and spiritual growth through the sacrament of Confession.
Great discussion topic. I would love to here what others think and feel about Confession. Anyone else out there want to share??
Question 2: Why go to a priest for confession?
The way that I look at this question is by asking myself two other questions. Why go to a priest for Baptism?... And why go to a priest for Marriage?
These two questions are rarely asked, because we recognize our inability to achieve the graces of Baptism and Marriage by ourselves. Well, it works the same way with forgiveness. It is a grace I cannot achieve by myself.
When I someday find the woman of my dreams, why not go directly to Jesus, say a few words, and then, voila, rest assured with the fact that I was just married? And in the same way, when I find myself weighed down by sin, why even go to a priest? Because, being God-fearing, Scripture-reading Catholics, we believe that God's grace does not originate within, but rather comes to us through the sacraments of the Church He built (and builds) for our salvation.
This is a great topic... thanks for bringing it up Brother Greg!
Great point about Marriage & Baptism! Thanks for that comment!
Ya-hoo! Great comments, Anonys! The first one about going to Confession to a priest who knows you and trying to go face-to-face was very true and inspiring. It's hard! While it may be personally more difficult, it's spiritually more fruitful. You said it so well, but let me try another way. There is grace in suffering (going to Confession, e.g.!), and so there's more grace when there's more suffering (going to the same priest very time, face-to-face).
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Then, the comment about seeing Confession as we see Baptism and Marriage, in terms of needing a priest. Good one! Hadn't heard that one before, and I LIKE IT! Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to use it. I'd even extend it to all the sacraments (the absolute need for a priest with Anointing of the Sick often is displayed with a 3 am call to the rectory, e.g.)Brilliant! Thank you!
The only thing I'd say about your point, though, is that Confession is a bit murkier than the other sacraments because we can obtain forgiveness for some of our sins (venial). It is for the forgiveness of MORTAL sins that we need to confess them to a priest (and why we have this sacrament). Nevertheless, the Church still encourages us to confess all of our sins, venial and mortal, to the priest so that Christ may free us from the bonds of all of our sin through him.
Great discussion! See you both on here again!
In Christ,
Greg
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