A Question about Confession

[jonathanw]

If I am not able to make it to confession is there anything wrong with confessing my sins directly to the Lord?

 

[JRKH]

Not at all…This is quite acceptable - if you are unable to get to confession.

Of course, assuming that we are talking about at least one mortal sin you need to commit to getting to confession as soon as you are able to.

Peace
James

 

[LilyM]

And confessing directly to God rather than going to confession, in the case of mortal sin, does not mean that you can receive Communion without having grave reason - like if you are in danger of death and conscious but unable to speak or write, and so confess, or if you go for many months without even having a priest visit your area or something.

 

[mangy_dog]

Putting aside the instruction of Jesus to his apostles about, " those who’s sins you forgive shall be forgiven and those who’s sins you retain shall be retained…(of course I para-phrase).

Putting that aside- and also putting aside the gravity of the sins commited…

It is important to understand that the Sacrament of Confession is instituted by Christ Himself through the ministry of the priest.

Step 1: You go to Confession and confess your sins.
Step 2: You receive verbal absolution and pennance. This is key in that you don’t think you received it- you know you received it.

Step 3: You do your pennance…whatever that may be.

Remember: The Sacrament of Confession is the inexhaustible source of renewable grace.

We need grace! Without grace there is no repentance.

 

[EmeraldWings]

If I am not able to make it to confession is there anything wrong with confessing my sins directly to the Lord?

there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s not really any point in doing so, Jesus already knows your sins, the point of confessing our sins is so the priest can make a good judgment of whether or not we can receive absolution, and what penance we should do, and also to give us advice for our sins…although saying you’re sorry to Jesus is always good, you can go to Jesus alone with your sins, and place them before Him, and say you are sorry and ask for the grace to repent, but it’s not the sacrament of penance, a sacrament is a sensible sign, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to the soul,
Jesus gave the power of absolution to His priests, and we can only be sure our sins are absolved by going to them in confession, just “confessing directly to God” isn’t going to absolve your sins, although in extreme circumstances where there’s no priest anywhere to be found, and you are in danger of death, you can make a sincere act of contrition, and that may save your soul, but if you are simply referring to not being able to get to confession right away, but with no danger of death, and having the ability to get to confession later, then no, you just need to go when you are able, or if you can, make an appointment with a priest, call one near by and ask to go to confession, you don’t need to go simply when it is scheduled.

alright, hope this helps, take care.

 

[Pinoycat]

If I am not able to make it to confession is there anything wrong with confessing my sins directly to the Lord?

There is nothing wrong, but how you confess directly to Lord since, sin is the big big wall between you and the Lord? That is why there is a sacrament of Confession, that can erase your sins and God may able to hear you again.

 

[JRKH]

There is nothing wrong, but how you confess directly to Lord since, sin is the big big wall between you and the Lord? That is why there is a sacrament of Confession, that can erase your sins and God may able to hear you again.

While not minimizing the role of the Sacrament of confession in this, it is truly repentance (of which the desire to confess is a sign) that punches the biggest hole in that wall you speak of.
Let’s not reduce this matter to a “black white” thing because there are important steps and aspects, each important, that must be taken into account.

It is by Grace, the “voice” of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we are able to repent in the first place. Accepting that voice (repentance) is the critical aspect of opening the channel of grace and healing. Acting on that voice through the Sacrament of confession then completes the restoration in a very real and formal sense.

So when the OP asks if he can go directly to God with his sins, the answer must certainly be yes. In fact, I would venture to say that, confessing our sins directly to God nearly always precedes confessing them to the priest.

Peace
James