Confession and the Eucharist

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I hope someone can help me understand this.

What is it confession does, and the Eucharist does, and why do we need both? Why do you have to go to confession first?

It’s my first time on the liturgy and sacraments board by the way. I’m Lutheran but i want to convert.
 
Sacramental confession cleanses us of mortal sin, and of venial sin as well. Therefore, a Catholic who has committed mortal sin must confess before receiving the Eucharist, since he/she would otherwise not be in a state of grace and would, as St. Paul says, “receive unworthily”. . .this unworthy reception being itself a mortal sin.

Mortal sin separates us from God, and to die in a state of unrepented mortal sin would be our decision to eternally separate ourselves from God.

Normally, venial sins (which do not separate us from God but which do wound us spiritually and which, if not repented and addressed, can predispose us to more frequent sin and even to mortal sin) do not need to be confessed to the priest. Reception of the Eucharist is sufficient to remove the venial sins from a person’s soul, but their temporal effect remains.

We need the Eucharist because Christ gave us His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, as the true manna which is our nourishment, which is His life within us.

Therefore it is vitally important that we maintain ourselves in a state of grace through regular confession of mortal sins, and regular examination and attention to venial sins, in order to receive at least weekly the sacrament of the Eucharist.

God bless.
 
Hello and welcome!

In confession, Jesus forgives us of our sins and washes clean the slate, if you will. As Catholics, we are required to confess ‘grave’ or ‘mortal’ sins at least once a year. The lesser sins, or ‘venial’ sins are forgiven by God by receiving the Eucharist, in a good prayer to God asking for His forgiveness and in many other ways that are available in our Church. A good and pious practice would be to confess even venial sins in a confessional. The priest is simply a stand-in for Christ and only Jesus can forgive our sins. The priest also serves as a guide and will prayerfully assist us when we need to overcome sinful habits.

It is important that Catholics do not approach the Holy Eucharist with grave sins on their soul. Afterall, when we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving Jesus body, blood, soul and divinity. We wouldn’t want Jesus to dwell within a less than holy place.

This is just some introductory information for you, and please feel free to ask any questions that may pop up. The search feature will be great for you as well as most topics have been covered at length.

God bless you,

Kelly
 
Hilde89 said:
I hope someone can help me understand this.

What is it confession does, and the Eucharist does, and why do we need both? Why do you have to go to confession first?

It’s my first time on the liturgy and sacraments board by the way. I’m Lutheran but i want to convert.
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You must go to confession first because there are only two sacraments which can validly be taken while not in a state of sanctifying grace: Reconciliation and Baptism. (er, okay, annointing of the sick as well, but that’s still a different category)

Confession is the part of atoning for our sins which cleanses our soul and makes us whole again. It is reconciliation with God for the damage we have done to ourselves and to others by our sinful ways. We need it to be made pure and holy again in the eyes of God.

The Eucharist is the Paschal Sacrifice. Jewish tradition demanded the consumption of the sacrificial lamb of passover in order for validity to be gained from the sacrifice. By the same rite, Consumption of the Flesh and Blood of our Perfect Sacrifice is absolutely necessary in salvation. Remember, Jesus tells us: “Unless a man eat My Flesh and drink of My Blood, he cannot have Life within him.” The Eucharist is our spiritual Food and Drink. It also is capable of alleviating the effects of venial sin, but should never be consumed in a state of moral depravity brought on by the presense of the stain of mortal sin. To do so would be sacrilage.
 
Serious or mortal sin makes us spiritually dead. The life of Christ (grace) is no longer in our souls. The Holy Eucharist is our spiritual food. The dead cannot eat or benefit in any way from food. Confession removes the mortal sin and restores life to the soul, enabling it to benefit from the spiritual food of the Eucharist.

In fact, the Sacraments are actually called Sacraments of the dead and of the living. The two sacraments of the dead are Baptism and Confession, because they bring sanctifying grace (the life of Christ) into the soul - for the first time in Baptism and restoring it in Confession. The Eucharist and the others are Sacraments of the living.

God bless you as you learn about the Faith.

Betsy
 
So if i understand it right confession is for the more serious sins whereas Eucharist is for “the rest”? Where does this idea come from?

Thank you for all your answers, you are very kind:blessyou:
 
Hilde89 said:
So if i understand it right confession is for the more serious sins whereas Eucharist is for “the rest”? Where does this idea come from?

Thank you for all your answers, you are very kind:blessyou:
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No, the Eucharist is not for “the rest” of your sins. The Eucharist is the Paschal Feast from the Passover Sacrifice (the Final, Perfect Sacrifice). The Eucharist’s primary purpose is our salvation (per Jewish tradition RE: Consuming the flesh of the lamb after their passover sacrifice was made). It is a tertiary factor that the Eucharist ALSO heals venial sin.
 
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