Annual Confession?

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It is true. It kind is a lazy way out. I am grateful for being able to go to Confession even though it can be a bit nerve-wracking. But it is better to suffer a little now than what lies ahead.
 
Eddie18 said:
Given that Scripture refers to a just man falling 7 times a day, it’s quite a frightening thought to go a year without confession. And sometimes it’s debatable whether our sins were mortal or venial, so who would take the chance! Going monthly is a safe bet whether you think you have mortal sins or not.
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It can occur however, and the purpose is to provide for the proper disposition for the Eucharist normally during the Easter season. Regular confession of venial sins may be made without a priest. Some are not able to receive the Eucharist due to allergies so they are not able to follow this precept.
 
I remember going through RCIA, our deacon compared confession to an oil change. If you go once a year, your car will still run, but very poorly and can cause expensive damage. It’s better to go every 3 months or 3000 miles 🙂
 
There are so many graces in the sacrament of Reconciliation. It doesn’t have to be mortal sin to go frequently!

Allow the Lord to sanctify you! Every day we contend with the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Pray much!
 
People that find Confession frightening are just going to have to get over it. Jesus made the Sacrament mandatory in order to return our souls to the state of grace, which is mandatory to be saved when our time comes.
 
Never in my life have I heard of someone unable to receive Communion because of allergy. Is it possible? Certainly. But it’s definitely not common, and if it really were the case for someone, that person would receive a dispensation from their pastor.

Given that we must be in the state of grace when we die, and people often die without notice, what Catholic would dare make any excuses not to go to Confession as frequently as possible?
 
Eddie18 said:
Jesus made the Sacrament mandatory in order to return our souls to the state of grace, which is mandatory to be saved when our time comes.
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Reconciliation is not “mandatory” unless you have committed a mortal sin. It is possible that a person could go their whole life without committing a mortal sin. People go at least once per year to be on the safe side.

Also, Jesus did not specify a frequency for the Sacrament of Penance; the Church did that.
 
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Given that Scripture confirms few are saved, that goes to show how few people are actually in the state of grace when they die. It’s not something to mess around with. You can never go to Confession too much.

If you read up on the lives of the Saints, even the holiest of them who never committed mortal sins were insistent on going to Confession very regularly. An example for all of us!
 
Eddie18 said:
Never in my life have I heard of someone unable to receive Communion because of allergy. Is it possible? Certainly. But it’s definitely not common, and if it really were the case for someone, that person would receive a dispensation from their pastor.

Given that we must be in the state of grace when we die, and people often die without notice, what Catholic would dare make any excuses not to go to Confession as frequently as possible?
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There is one person in our parish that cannot receive either the Body or the Blood due to allergies to yeast and wheat. It is morally impossible (heroism beyond the call of duty).

For frequent confession, daily confession is good, however that confession is only needs to be individual confession with a priest when it is mortal sin.
 
greenrangerx said:
I remember going through RCIA, our deacon compared confession to an oil change. If you go once a year, your car will still run, but very poorly and can cause expensive damage. It’s better to go every 3 months or 3000 miles
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My car mandates the use of synthetic oil and requires an oil change once every 10,000 miles only. Any more is wasting money. 😉

For those tending towards scrupulosity, too-frequent confession may in fact worsen their situation, just like too-frequent oil changes will worsen one’s budget with no discernable difference in the car’s longevity.
 
It’s hard for me to see once every 3 months as “too frequent confession”.

I go about once a month. I need to go every 20 days to fulfill condiions for indulgence practice, and sometimes there’s an extra one in there since First Saturday also requires one within a certain number of days.

Based on these devotional requirements, seems to me that once a month is a good habit, assuming you don’t have a mortal sin to get rid of asap.
 
I go as needed. If I go and then commit a mortal sin a week later, I go back. If I don’t commit a mortal sin for a couple of months, I don’t go for a couple of months.
 
My frequency, as well, is about every 1 month. Depends on where you are spiritually, but the schedules from the parishes play a huge roll as well. In my area It’s Saturday, Wednesday night and Thursday night.
 
True. This is one of those questions where once every 3 months is OK for some, not enough for others.

Once a week might be appropriate for someone struggling with a particular sin, but far too much for someone who’s struggle is with scrupulosity.

I’m one of those “on an as-needed” basis guys. Sometimes I can go two weeks in a row, or go 3 months between confessions (rarely ever longer than that). So YMMV, and it’s why I like a regular confessor. He will help you work out what is appropriate.
 
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