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Stevin
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
I have a few quick questions and I truly hope
you can help me with them.
- Why is going to Confession important,
if all our venial sins have been forgiven
by receiving the Eucharist every Sunday
at Mass and we haven't committed any mortal
sins?
- I read somewhere that we should go to
Confession once a year if we have mortal
sin on our soul, but shouldn't we go to
Confession immediately, if we have a mortal
sin on our soul?
Thank you and please do some research on this,
as I will be taking your answers very seriously.
May God bless you always,
Stevin
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{
Why go to Confession if
we are forgiven all venial sins and can you clarify the Confession precept? }
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Paul
replied:
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Hi, Stevin —
In answer to your first question.
One reason the Sacrament of Confession
is still important is that it gives
us the grace in order to avoid the
sins and bad habits we confess, whether
they are venial or mortal sins. The
Eucharistic grace nurtures our souls
with Christ's love. The grace of
each sacrament is aimed at different
things. It is the goal, not only
to receive God's forgiveness, but
to also gain grace for the wisdom
and strength to sin no more. (John 8:11)
Yes, you should go to Confession
as soon as you commit a mortal sin.
The once a year rule mentioned in the second precept of the Church,
is to an absolute minimum in order
to maintain a relationship with God.
Paul
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Stevin,
The Eucharist takes away venial sin
that we have repented of. All sin
requires repentance. Going to Reconciliation
and confessing is a
form of repentance, and specific
repentance for each sin confessed.
It also absolves all unconfessed
sins, because forgotten sins or sins
we are unaware of are included in
one's intention.
There is another reason to go to
Confession. The sacrament also has
a healing grace, that repairs the
damage done to us by our sin and
strengthens us in regard to the sins
we have confessed.
Confession is a very powerful, supernatural
grace.
Mary Ann
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Stevin
replied:
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Mary Ann —
Thank-you for your answers; they
were absolutely great.
You said:
The Eucharist
takes away venial sin that we have
repented of.
- Did you mean to say repented
of or unrepentant
of?
I do have
a few other small questions.
- Are we forgiven of all our
sins, (repented of) and (unrepentant
of) when receiving the Eucharist or not?
I would think we are, because of
the fact that we must be completely
pure in order to receive the Body
and Blood of Christ worthily and
I'm sure the priest prays with us
that our sins are forgiven before
we go up to receive the Eucharist
and of course, these would be only venial sins, not mortal sins.
I will definitely be going to Confession
often, however, I have a few more
questions about venial sins.
- Do I have to tell the priest
the number of times I have committed
a venial sin, or is that only
for mortal sins?
- If we don't remember the venial
sins we have committed, are we
still forgiven of them?
- What is a Plenary Indulgence?
. . . I would like to do one some day.
I am indeed a faithful Catholic
Christian; I just want to know as
much as I can.
Thank you.
Stevin
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Stevin —
A sin must be repented of to be forgiven.
With venial sin, it is sufficient
that we are sorry for them in general,
with some awareness of them. There
are some sins we forget or haven't examined
ourselves for and discovered or
remembered.
The only venial sin that cannot be
absolved is the one that is held
on to purposely. In other words,
if you are constantly using profane
language, and have no intention of
stopping, or you are constantly using the
Lord's name thoughtlessly in vain,
and think it's fine, then that venial
sin is not absolved by receiving Communion.
Nevertheless, it is not a barrier
to Communion.
This is why it is so
important to examine our hearts regularly,
so that we discover these sins, faults
and weaknesses and be sorry for them,
even if you never confess them. Even
so, it is good to confess them now
and then, because the sacrament has
a medicinal grace for those things.
You do not need to tell the priest
the number venial sins you have committed.
You are forgiven of the venial sins
that your forget but are sorry for.
A plenary indulgence takes away all
temporal punishment due to sin, as
long as the usual conditions are
fulfilled, which include a freedom
from attachment to sin.
Mary Ann
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Stevin
replied:
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Mary Ann,
Thank you so very much.
I am going
to be searching your site to learn about
the "unforgivable sin".
If you can provide me with a group
of links that talk about this, that
would be great.
I find it difficult to understand
that there is such a sin that is
unforgivable, and yet none of us
truly know how it is that one sins
against the Holy Spirit.
I'm looking forward to your response.
Stevin
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Mike
replied:
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Hi, Stevin —
These two posting should explain
the sin against the Holy Spirit.
Mike
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