Confession after Communion

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I hope you’re not being too hard on yourself. In your other post you said you would confess that you received the Eucharist in a state of sin, but your confessor ignored it. Maybe he’s trying to tell you that you aren’t in mortal sin as often as you may think?

Yes, that would be a serious sin if all three criteria had been met, even if the priest said it wasn’t. I just have a hard time believing a devout soul like you would be in mortal sin that often. I find it even harder that your children could be in it that often. Sorry. It’s just really hard to grasp that.

Oh it’s not hard at all! My kids are of course little angels. I post often about them. We homeschool they are well behaved at mass. And in public. They help around the house, almost always get along and love each other tremendously. But to truly grasp the concept of the fallen nature of man, one need not find it so hard to believe. Do my kids lie? Sure, though usually about little things that wouldn’t reach morta status. But occasionally they do. Do they take things that don’t belong to them. It’s happened, again, not always mortal. Have they not honored thier parents? Yes. Have they done naughty things just like anyone else.
Yes.

Have I disrespected my wife, vows, have I become unessesarly angry with my kids? Have I lusted after others? Have I been unchaste with my spouse? Have I seriously thought about my gun in my glovebox when the lady in front of me refuses to go the speed limit!? Sure!
We are not perfect. I recall the frequency of confession for saints, popes, etc that were no doubt better people than I. I’m quite confident in my dicernment of the gravity of sin. I trust my conscience.

Getting back to the op and looking at my post has made me realize I’m not using that conscience correctly when the Eucharist is involved. And yes, there is probably some passive aggressive point I’m trying to make to the parish that seems to encourage confession after reception if at all. Which should not be why I would confess desecrating that Eucharist. I will surely change that behavior and instruct my family to do the same.

What really stood out to me was the idea of abc being wrong but the priest says it’s ok. Which has happened multiple times to me in the confessional back in my ABC days.

Same thing here. I know i. My heart the correct way. I guess between all that social pressure and frustration of the situation of confession in my diocese I should be recieving less and confessing more. Or in the best case scenario just sinning less.

 

[Convert_in_99]

Oh it’s not hard at all! My kids are of course little angels. I post often about them. We homeschool they are well behaved at mass. And in public. They help around the house, almost always get along and love each other tremendously. But to truly grasp the concept of the fallen nature of man, one need not find it so hard to believe. Do my kids lie? Sure, though usually about little things that wouldn’t reach morta status. But occasionally they do. Do they take things that don’t belong to them. It’s happened, again, not always mortal. Have they not honored thier parents? Yes. Have they done naughty things just like anyone else.
Yes.

Have I disrespected my wife, vows, have I become unessesarly angry with my kids? Have I lusted after others? Have I been unchaste with my spouse? Have I seriously thought about my gun in my glovebox when the lady in front of me refuses to go the speed limit!? Sure!
We are not perfect. I recall the frequency of confession for saints, popes, etc that were no doubt better people than I. I’m quite confident in my dicernment of the gravity of sin. I trust my conscience.

I’m certainly not suggesting less frequent confession for you or your children. I’m simply saying you are probably confessing Venial sins with the ocassional mortal sin, not the other way around. When the saints frequented confession it was the same. But you own your heart and mind and have to live with them. I’m just saying you are probably better off than you think.

 

[ShrodingersCat]

Do my kids lie? Sure, though usually about little things that wouldn’t reach morta status. But occasionally they do. Do they take things that don’t belong to them. It’s happened, again, not always mortal. Have they not honored thier parents? Yes. Have they done naughty things just like anyone else.
Yes.

You have an interesting attitude to mortal sin. I used to be scrupulous. I’m not really anymore; I can tell the difference between mortal and venial. But, I would say that you seem kind of relaxed about them (given that you would go to communion with a potential mortal sin, just because of timing issues and commit another mortal sin). If I thought I really committed a mortal sin I would be in turmoil. Probably not a healthy attitude either, but the things I quoted above I found surprising… I would find it very hard to believe that children are capable of committing many mortal sins as you seem to imply.

Mortal sin is serious and should be treated as such - it’s also something that should not be a regular occurrence for a holy family like yours. I don’t know you at all, so apologies if I cause any offence, but I would hate to think you were judging yourself and your children too harshly. If your kids did ask if over-teasing could be a mortal sin, I think they might have a distorted view of sin. Also I believe that children don’t have the capacity to have full knowledge in the same way as adults do, so the bar for mortal sin is way way higher.

Again, I don’t know you or your family, so I’d like to know if other posters agree with me in an objective sense?

 

[ShrodingersCat]

When the saints frequented confession it was the same. But you own your heart and mind and have to live with them. I’m just saying you are probably better off than you think.

Agreed. Some people frequent confession because of a serious addiction or vice (think: porn, things of that ilk), but in general people who go regularly only confess venial sins with the odd mortal sin.

I would hazard a guess that was the case for most of the saints.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I’m certainly not suggesting less frequent confession for you or your children. I’m simply saying you are probably confessing Venial sins with the ocassional mortal sin, not the other way around. When the saints frequented confession it was the same. But you own your heart and mind and have to live with them. I’m just saying you are probably better off than you think.

No. It is not your place to decide that. I’m sure you have seen real scrupulocity on these boards. I know I have. I mean we could name the posters here and now.

Bottom line is you have no idea the sins I confess and it’s downright not your place to discourage something the church encourages.
I have a well formed conscience. I know mortal sin. And I don’t appreciate your view.

 

[Convert_in_99]

No. It is not your place to decide that. I’m sure you have seen real scrupulocity on these boards. I know I have. I mean we could name the posters here and now.

Bottom line is you have no idea the sins I confess and it’s downright not your place to discourage something the church encourages.
I have a well formed conscience. I know mortal sin. And I don’t appreciate your view.

Ok. You don’t have to get snippy on me. I never once discouraged confession, or even frequent confession. Just this idea that you were in mortal sin most every time you went. I was just trying to be kind. I’ve dealt with the scrupulosity beast for 17 years now, suffered much from it, and just try to lessen the load of others when I see them tending towards it. Really there was no need to get nasty about that.

 

[BornInMarch]

Is it that I really cannot partake the Holy Communion after committing mortal sins, even if I have made my Act of Perfect Contrition and will go to Confession right after Mass (at most on that day)?

It just gives me so much agony when I am like a cripple cheated by Satan every Saturday…and Confession is sadly not available on every Sunday!

It’s not that you’re forbidden, just that it’s discouraged.

If it really bothers you, you can say the prayer of contrition at home. It’s not a substitute for a Confession, but it’s better than nothing. That’s what my Church Youth-Group teacher told me when I was taking Confirmation Classes.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Ok. You don’t have to get snippy on me. I never once discouraged confession, or even frequent confession. Just this idea that you were in mortal sin most every time you went. I was just trying to be kind. I’ve dealt with the scrupulosity beast for 17 years now, suffered much from it, and just try to lessen the load of others when I see them tending towards it. Really there was no need to get nasty about that.

It’s just dangerous.

Sorry I was snippy.

You and I have seen scrupulocity in these boards. " did I sin because I took a rock from the road." Did I sin because I have a difference of opinion on the color blue than my mother does". I’m not kidding, they exist.

Even in those ridiculous scenarios it really is not our place to decide mortality or not. The question should either not be answered or it should be answered take this to your regular confessor. “.
The church has the power to bind and loose. Not us. So we should refrain from any sort of idea that someone " is probably only confessing venial with the occasional mortal”

I confess whenever I have mortal sin. Period.

Now I know that it seems charitable and kind to assume the best about people. But we should not be willing to tell others what is not sinful. Because unless you are willing to say “. Tell God that if that is mortal sin, Hoosier daddy, then put it in me, don’t even worry about it.” I’ll take it for you," then we should be assuming anything.

See the church has this amazing sacrament, a way to let God forgive our sins. And we should encourage that, we should champion people to strive for sheer holiness and grace. We should employee more people to go to confession more often. Especially in this world we live in. A world where on a Saturday night you could be at a club having fun and next thing you know, you are giving an account of your life and choices to your maker.

Scrupulocity is illogical in many cases. Like ocd. A scrupulous person cannot defend with logic. It can also be prideful. Like, " the only thing I have to confess is I forgot a Hail Mary in the rosary. Yup that’s the worst of my sin…"

I know because many people on these boards are scrupulous that we can take that and over correct the other way.

Several times on the past month or two you have assumed a couple things about me that were incorrect. I’m sure I do that with others as well. The church is clear though in some theological matters. How sin is remitted is one of them and the ways to do that.
Out of love we should encourage confession. Out of love we should indeed help instruct and inform consciences. Out of God’s command we should spread the gospel and we should direct to the saving sacraments. Baptism, confession, Eucharist…

Priests offering only one of a very few opportunities for confession directly after Mass is not optimal. At the very least it diminishes the idea of “graceful reception”.

I guess we are just so lucky to be living in the holiest of times if history, judging by the infrequency if confession. .

Like I said though. I’d be surprised to find scrupulocity a problem here. A couple months ago we had a friend who needed an emergency confession. It took 6 hours to find a priest and the only way we did it was s friend who had a priests personal cell phone.

I do like how many youth groups are pushing confession more. That will bode well for the future I’m betting.

 

[Convert_in_99]

It’s just dangerous.

Sorry I was snippy.

You and I have seen scrupulocity in these boards. " did I sin because I took a rock from the road." Did I sin because I have a difference of opinion on the color blue than my mother does". I’m not kidding, they exist.

Even in those ridiculous scenarios it really is not our place to decide mortality or not. The question should either not be answered or it should be answered take this to your regular confessor. “.
The church has the power to bind and loose. Not us. So we should refrain from any sort of idea that someone " is probably only confessing venial with the occasional mortal”

I confess whenever I have mortal sin. Period.

Now I know that it seems charitable and kind to assume the best about people. But we should not be willing to tell others what is not sinful. Because unless you are willing to say “. Tell God that if that is mortal sin, Hoosier daddy, then put it in me, don’t even worry about it.” I’ll take it for you," then we should be assuming anything.

See the church has this amazing sacrament, a way to let God forgive our sins. And we should encourage that, we should champion people to strive for sheer holiness and grace. We should employee more people to go to confession more often. Especially in this world we live in. A world where on a Saturday night you could be at a club having fun and next thing you know, you are giving an account of your life and choices to your maker.

Scrupulocity is illogical in many cases. Like ocd. A scrupulous person cannot defend with logic. It can also be prideful. Like, " the only thing I have to confess is I forgot a Hail Mary in the rosary. Yup that’s the worst of my sin…"

I know because many people on these boards are scrupulous that we can take that and over correct the other way.

Several times on the past month or two you have assumed a couple things about me that were incorrect. I’m sure I do that with others as well. The church is clear though in some theological matters. How sin is remitted is one of them and the ways to do that.
Out of love we should encourage confession. Out of love we should indeed help instruct and inform consciences. Out of God’s command we should spread the gospel and we should direct to the saving sacraments. Baptism, confession, Eucharist…

Priests offering only one of a very few opportunities for confession directly after Mass is not optimal. At the very least it diminishes the idea of “graceful reception”.

I guess we are just so lucky to be living in the holiest of times if history, judging by the infrequency if confession. .

Like I said though. I’d be surprised to find scrupulocity a problem here. A couple months ago we had a friend who needed an emergency confession. It took 6 hours to find a priest and the only way we did it was s friend who had a priests personal cell phone.

I do like how many youth groups are pushing confession more. That will bode well for the future I’m betting.

I’m a total advocate of frequent confession, even with “just” venial sins. Cause really it all caused our Lord’s passion. I wish more places had confession during the week cause Saturday isn’t the easiest for a lot of people. Actually an 30mins-1 hour before Sunday masses would be ideal. People are more likely to go when they “have” to be there anyways.

In all truth, there probably shouldn’t be a moral theology forum. Between the “scribes and pharasies” to the scrupulous, these questions belong in the confessional and in ask an apologist. That’s my opinion anyways.

 

[twf]

Yes, that would be a serious sin if all three criteria had been met, even if the priest said it wasn’t. I just have a hard time believing a devout soul like you would be in mortal sin that often. I find it even harder that your children could be in it that often. Sorry. It’s just really hard to grasp that.

Bless you. You must be a very holy person (NO sarcasm - I am being 100% serious). MANY devout Catholics with intimate knowledge of the faith regularly struggle with grave sins. Many young devout men struggle with masturbation and/or porn. Many young devout spouses struggle with chastity in their marriage (especially if the other spouse isn’t as devout when it comes to his / her understanding of Catholic sexual morality)…the temptation to “fool around” with one’s spouse during periods of abstinence if on NFP comes to mind. Many devout Catholics struggle with anger. Then there’s sins of omission… hasn’t Pope Francis spoken of people going to hell for ignoring the plight of the poor? (In fact, in His Matthew 25 parable of the Final Judgment, Our Lord ONLY focuses on such sins). Of course scrupulosity is a terrible burden… but some of us weak sinners do truly struggle in our constant war with the Devil, the World, and the Flesh.

 

[Convert_in_99]

Bless you. You must be a very holy person (NO sarcasm - I am being 100% serious). MANY devout Catholics with intimate knowledge of the faith regularly struggle with grave sins. Many young devout men struggle with masturbation and/or porn. Many young devout spouses struggle with chastity in their marriage (especially if the other spouse isn’t as devout when it comes to his / her understanding of Catholic sexual morality)…the temptation to “fool around” with one’s spouse during periods of abstinence if on NFP comes to mind. Many devout Catholics struggle with anger. Then there’s sins of omission… hasn’t Pope Francis spoken of people going to hell for ignoring the plight of the poor? (In fact, in His Matthew 25 parable of the Final Judgment, Our Lord ONLY focuses on such sins). Of course scrupulosity is a terrible burden… but some of us weak sinners do truly struggle in our constant war with the Devil, the World, and the Flesh.

I’m sorry I offended you (or anyone.) That was not my intention at all. I am neither devout nor holy. I’ve committed practically every mortal sin in the book, multiple times at that. I meant only to lighten the load of another. That’s it. I will back out of this thread now as I’ve obviously done more harm than good. Again, I meant no offense to you or anyone.

And to the OP: I apologize for derailing your thread.

 

[CatholicRaven]

It’s not that you’re forbidden, just that it’s discouraged.

That statement is, at best, very misleading.

If we have committed mortal sin, we should not be receiving the Eucharist until we have gone to Confession and been absolved of mortal sin. Someone else in this thread even posted the references to the Church’s teaching on this. We need to be in a state of grace before receiving the Eucharist.

You are correct that an Act of Contrition at home is “better than nothing,” but that it is also "not a substitute for Confession."

 

[Bookcat]

Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI (in addition to my posts above)

291. What is required to receive Holy Communion?

1385-1389
1415

To receive Holy Communion one must be fully incorporated into the Catholic Church and be in the state of grace, that is, not conscious of being in mortal sin. Anyone who is conscious of having committed a grave sin must first receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before going to Communion. Also important for those receiving Holy Communion are a spirit of recollection and prayer, observance of the fast prescribed by the Church, and an appropriate disposition of the body (gestures and dress) as a sign of respect for Christ.

(grave sin here = mortal sin)

and

305. When is a person obliged to confess mortal sins?

1457

Each of the faithful who has reached the age of discretion is bound to confess his or her mortal sins at least once a year and always before receiving Holy Communion.

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

 

[Bookcat]

It’s not that you’re forbidden, just that it’s discouraged.

.

That would not be correct. See the documents of the Church (posted and soon to be posted).

 

[Bookcat]

My point is not that the priest thinks I’m not in mortal sin but rather none of the priests think receiving in a state of mortal sin is really compounding the problem.

If such is the case - (which it may not be -for a priest does not always comment on a particular sin - often they do not) - they would be very incorrect. But one really does not know what the Priest thinks for they have not said - they simply did not comment on that one at the moment (short on time or other for various reasons).

One may not just receive Holy Communion with mortal sin (see posts above). And most Priests know that and that it yes compounds things as you said - it is matter for repentance and confession. Even if it is not commented on.

The Church is clear on this -even if one may run into a Priest somewhere who has a blind spot concerning this (see the next post).

 

[Bookcat]

Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI (in addition to my posts above)

291. What is required to receive Holy Communion?

1385-1389
1415

To receive Holy Communion one must be fully incorporated into the Catholic Church and be in the state of grace, that is, not conscious of being in mortal sin. Anyone who is conscious of having committed a grave sin must first receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before going to Communion. Also important for those receiving Holy Communion are a spirit of recollection and prayer, observance of the fast prescribed by the Church, and an appropriate disposition of the body (gestures and dress) as a sign of respect for Christ.

(grave sin here = mortal sin)

and

305. When is a person obliged to confess mortal sins?

Each of the faithful who has reached the age of discretion is bound to confess his or her mortal sins at least once a year and always before receiving Holy Communion.

vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

 

[twf]

I’m sorry I offended you (or anyone.) That was not my intention at all. I am neither devout nor holy. I’ve committed practically every mortal sin in the book, multiple times at that. I meant only to lighten the load of another. That’s it. I will back out of this thread now as I’ve obviously done more harm than good. Again, I meant no offense to you or anyone.

And to the OP: I apologize for derailing your thread.

You didn’t offend me. I just felt it should be clearly stated that many devout Catholics truly and regularly struggle with sins that are grave matter. I probably stated my case too strongly but I didn’t mean to reprimand you- sorry about that.

 

[kdbueno]

The intention to do work for Christ is greatly appreciated by the heavenly host.

 

[ccmcmg]

Upon confessing that I had received the Eucharist unworthily, I received one of the most stern responses of all my confessions, and that includes confessions of that particular mortal sin that had been on my soul that I received under. Such as to say, the penance for receiving while in mortal sin, was harsher than other times I’ve confessed that mortal sin and not received.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Upon confessing that I had received the Eucharist unworthily, I received one of the most stern responses of all my confessions, and that includes confessions of that particular mortal sin that had been on my soul that I received under. Such as to say, the penance for receiving while in mortal sin, was harsher than other times I’ve confessed that mortal sin and not received.

You are lucky to have such a confessor!