Confessing Sins You Forgot At Your First Confession

[TrueLight]

Issue resolved.

 

[Singapore_Nick]

every communion there will be queue of people lining up for communion. hmmmm…sometimes i wonder do they have not stain of sins in their life ? being a new convert myself, I’m refain from taking communion even if there are venial sins. am i just being too harsh/sensitive ?

what’s the criteria of receiving communion ? 100% no sin ?

 

[Edmundus1581]

**There is nothing to discuss with my priest. **In fact, I just met with him yesterday before I remembered.

I forgot some sins. I remembered them, I prayed for forgiveness and now I have to confess them, which I will do this week.

**There is nothing unique about my situation.

Sometimes others can be helped by reading advice like the ones given by you good folk.**
Thanks again.

I think that is a very good approach. If we have a general question, for which there is a standard answer, then it is BETTER to bring it here, than to a priest. If you had a simple chest cough, would you make an appointment with a doctor, or just ask a pharmacist for the best medicine? Priests are busy men, and confessionals often have long queues. We do our priests and fellow penitents a service by resolving outside of the confessional as many questions as we can, and using the confessional for confession, not (unneccessary) guidance.

It’s not just about saving our priest’s time either, it’s also about formation of conscience, and using the gifts of our fellow Catholics, of the Bible, of the Church’s published documents, and of the internet. I have learned so much here by listening, and participating.

As with the “chest cough” analogy, there will be circumstances in which we should go to the doctor (ie. priest), but, in general, don’t go to him before you’ve tried to get the answer from other sources.

Having said all that, I am actually going to, very reluctantly, advise you to ask your priest about this one! We’ve had this discussion before, on the subject of mortal sins having been forgotten, and, AFAIK, it has not been settled amongst the people here. Some, such as our friend Bookcat, argue strongly for confessing them all, eventually, and others, including myself, have argued that that it is a general principle, but that there are exceptions. My opinion, and it is only an opinion, is that when you made your first confession, you brought to the priest all your sins, including those you might have forgotten, and that you should not start going over that confession again. However, please don’t take my advise without consulting your confessor. Also, ask him directly, rather than just say “I forgot to mention in my last confession…”, because priests in the confessional don’t usually advise you not to confess something, unless you actually ask.

I expect that this advise will be contested. Thanks, but I am not going to enter the argument unless someone can show me a convincing document directly addressing the matter, from the bishops or other Church sources. (yes, I’ve seen the Canon Law, and, in my opinion, it doesn’t directly address the issue of confessing previously absolved sins).

 

[Edmundus1581]

every communion there will be queue of people lining up for communion. hmmmm…sometimes i wonder do they have not stain of sins in their life ? being a new convert myself, I’m refain from taking communion even if there are venial sins. am i just being too harsh/sensitive ?

what’s the criteria of receiving communion ? 100% no sin ?

First off, don’t even think about what other people are doing. This is between you and God.

Don’t ever stay back from communion because of venial sin! Only mortal sin should prevent you from going to communion, and mortal sin consists of: grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent. If, for example, you have had bad thoughts in your dreams then that is not mortal sin, because you have not consented.

From the Catechism…

#1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."218 Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

 

[TrueLight]

I think that is a very good approach. If we have a general question, for which there is a standard answer, then it is BETTER to bring it here, than to a priest. If you had a simple chest cough, would you make an appointment with a doctor, or just ask a pharmacist for the best medicine? Priests are busy men, and confessionals often have long queues. We do our priests and fellow penitents a service by resolving outside of the confessional as many questions as we can, and using the confessional for confession, not (unneccessary) guidance.

It’s not just about saving our priest’s time either, it’s also about formation of conscience, and using the gifts of our fellow Catholics, of the Bible, of the Church’s published documents, and of the internet. I have learned so much here by listening, and participating.

As with the “chest cough” analogy, there will be circumstances in which we should go to the doctor (ie. priest), but, in general, don’t go to him before you’ve tried to get the answer from other sources.

Having said all that, I am actually going to, very reluctantly, advise you to ask your priest about this one! We’ve had this discussion before, on the subject of mortal sins having been forgotten, and, AFAIK, it has not been settled amongst the people here. Some, such as our friend Bookcat, argue strongly for confessing them all, eventually, and others, including myself, have argued that that it is a general principle, but that there are exceptions. My opinion, and it is only an opinion, is that when you made your first confession, you brought to the priest all your sins, including those you might have forgotten, and that you should not start going over that confession again. However, please don’t take my advise without consulting your confessor. Also, ask him directly, rather than just say “I forgot to mention in my last confession…”, because priests in the confessional don’t usually advise you not to confess something, unless you actually ask.

I expect that this advise will be contested. Thanks, but I am not going to enter the argument unless someone can show me a convincing document directly addressing the matter, from the bishops or other Church sources. (yes, I’ve seen the Canon Law, and, in my opinion, it doesn’t directly address the issue of confessing previously absolved sins).

What an interesting post.

I will ask him next time. But just to be safe I did confess them, but they did not stop me from receiving.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

every communion there will be queue of people lining up for communion. hmmmm…sometimes i wonder do they have not stain of sins in their life ? being a new convert myself, I’m refain from taking communion even if there are venial sins. am i just being too harsh/sensitive ?

what’s the criteria of receiving communion ? 100% no sin ?

Receiving communion washes away our venial sins and strengthens us against further sin. So if you do not have mortal sin on your soul, and are otherwise disposed, you should receive!

We are very blessed to have such easy access to the sacraments in most of the US. Take advantage of both weekly communion and frequent confession! Frequent reception of those two sacraments is such a gift! Take it with both hands!