Can I still go to Heaven?

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Marissa

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I’m 15 years old and I committed a mortal sin. It was something that is completely unlike me and I don’t know why i did it. It happened twice in the same day, but I never ever ever ever did it again after that and I feel so guilty and horrible. I don’t want to go to hell and I love God. I feel so guilty because he has given me so much and I am so so so grateful for that. I feel so bad receiving all of the amazing things he’s given me because of it. I haven’t been to confession and it’s been about a month since the sin. I received communion as my way of confession but I still haven’t confessed because I don’t know when to do it as my family doesn’t go to confession often. I feel horrible. I really want to go to heaven and I’m terrified for what will happen after I die. Do you think God will ever forgive me enough to let me enter his kingdom?
 
Thank you, so much for this response. It really put me at ease, for tonight at least so I might be able to get some sleep. I think I might try to go to confession I’m just scared because I’m very close with the pastor and I volunteer at the church. 💜
 
Keep in mind that we are never going to have confession without shame. It’s intrinsic to the sacrament. We are approaching a Holy God who is all pure, all loving and all giving, and we are carrying our faults and the consequences of wrong choices. Don’t focus on the shame, focus on the fact that you are owning up to this shame. And believe me Marissa, you are not alone in how you are feeling 🙂
 
Welcome to Catholic Answers Forums!

Yes, God will forgive you, and yes, you can still go to Heaven. It sounds like you are contrite (sorry for your sins), which is a very good start. If you are also repentant (intending to avoid the sin in the future), that is even better.

Try to go to Confession when you can. Maybe because it is Lent, you could suggest that your family could go to Confession or your parent could take you.

The Gospel reading this coming Sunday will be the parable of the Prodigal Son. It is a wonderful story of reconciliation and forgiveness. Like the father in that parable, God is always ready to forgive our sins.
 
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Marissa said:
Do you think God will ever forgive me enough to let me enter his kingdom?
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Yes. Of course!

St. John Paul II, in a 1987 homily:
To those who have been far away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving Love I make this appeal: come back to this source of grace; do not be afraid! Christ himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with God!

To all the young people of the Church, I extend a special invitation to receive Christ’s forgiveness and his strength in the Sacrament of Penance. It is a mark of greatness to be able to say: I have made a mistake: I have sinned, Father; I am sorry; I ask for pardon; I will try again, because I rely on your strength and I believe in your love. And I know that the power of your Son’s Paschal Mystery – the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ – is greater than my weaknesses and all the sins of the world. I will come and confess my sins and be healed, and I will live in your love!
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However, in the future, if you have committed a mortal sin do not receive communion without going to confession first. I know you meant well, but to receive our Lord worthily we must be in the state of grace.

As for confession, if it is easier, it is also fine to go to another parish where you don’t know the priest.

Good luck & God bless 🙂
 
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You sound like your heart is in the right place. No sin is unforgivable.

Just a little note: do NOT take the Eucharist if you feel like you are in a state of mortal sin. This isn’t in any way a confession, and is in fact somewhat the opposite. It is sinful to take the Eucharist in this state. Your lack of knowledge is a defense in your case, but I would still bring it up in confession. Just remember for the future!

May God be with you! Once you confess, all is forgiven, and you will once again have access to Heaven!!!
 
Erm… receiving communion while in a state of mortal sin is another mortal sin that needs to be confessed. Refrain from communion until your next confession and return to sanctifying grace. Perhaps try to make it to another parish for confession, preferably one that occurs with a partition.
 
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Lucky for her, she didn’t know that she was sinning, so it can’t be a mortal sin. Maybe venial, though? Not sure if even that. It will be mortal in the future though, yes.

This is in response to the communion issue, not the other mortal sin
 
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Are you sure it was a mortal sin?

Three conditions are necessary for mortal sin to exist:
  • Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral. …
  • Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral. …
  • Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it.
So ask yourself if it was intrinsically evil and immoral. If it was, then ask yourself if knew what you were doing was evil and immoral. If you did, then ask yourself if you chose to do it of your own free will without anything to coerce you into doing it.

If you did commit a mortal sin, then you do need to go to confession before receiving communion again.You can attend Mass but not receive until you have done this.

If you die before getting to confession, but intended to do so, what will happen? Such judgments are up to God, who is perfectly just and merciful. We would presume that someone’s desire to go to confession would be something that God would take into account in the judgment of the individual. If someone is unable to get to confession, then perfect contrition can obtain forgiveness of their sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church :
When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible (1452).
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Be glad that you know your sin! Not because it will bring you down, but so you know what you must let Jesus in the confessional clean off of you.

It’s good that you will go to confession. Speaking as a candidate coming to the Church this Easter and can’t go to confession yet, it is a great treasure.
 
Okay I did not know that was also a sin, now I feel even worse. I’ll defin try to go to confession soon.
 
I think I was a mortal sin execpt I did it with no intention of any sort of evil. Thank you for this it really opened up my eyes!
 
Okay. How do I not receive communion though? I don’t want my family thinking I committed like a horrible sin so what do I do? How do I stay behind or not receive it?
 
Okay! Thank you so so much. I was unaware of that and I feel even worse now. When I do go back to church this Sunday, how do I not take the Eucharist? Like, how do I stay behind because I don’t want my family knowing I committed a mortal sin.
 
Thank you so so much! Your reply was very sweet and I feel much better and less worried now. I’ll go to confession as soon as I can, thank you!
 
Marissa said:
Okay. How do I not receive communion though? I don’t want my family thinking I committed like a horrible sin so what do I do? How do I stay behind or not receive it?
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Just say you’re not disposed to receive it - it’s nobody’s business anyway. Or eat something shortly before mass so if anyone asks say you will break the Eucharistic fast if you go up for Communion so it’s a visibly valid excuse to use.
 
It sounds like you may not have committed a mortal sin in the first place which means the having communion wasnt a sin either… phew so really think and pray on this and ask for enlightenment.
If you did not think I am doing a bad thing, I know this and I am still going to do it or I don’t care etc… even if you then justified it for whatever reason/s… then it doesnt sound like it was a mortal sin. You say with no evil intention of any sort… hmm doesnt sound mortal. Any chance you could speak to that pastor you know, even out of confession after mass even in general terms about your understanding of mortal sin? See another reason why confession is important, it clears up muddles like this for us as well as giving us contrition. I have panicked about something before only to be told it wasnt even a sin! God bless you
 
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