Confession question

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I know that we cannot receive Communion if we are not in a state of grace. Sadly I find myself in this state a lot. I have some issues I need to work out. Around where I live there is only Confession once a week, on Saturdays for an hour. I wish it was everyday. I hate not receiving Communion but I do not want to risk sinning against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Sometimes I dont know if my sin was mortal but I refrain from the Eucharist to be on the safe side.
In the missal at Mass, on the inside cover, it says that if you are not in a state of grace but for some grave reason do not have the opportunity for Confession, you can receive providing that you intend to go to Confession ASAP. Now what is ASAP? Next Saturday? or whenever you can find a priest to confess to? Like last night I got drunk and I understand that is a mortal sin. I think I did not eat enough for dinner, and the amount of alcohol I had affected me more than usual. Now I am wondering if I can receive the Eucharist - I do not know where to go to Confession on a Sunday. I am kind of torn because I want to receive really badly but I dont want to risk what Paul talked about in Corinthians, eating and drinking judgement on myself.
Anyone with some thoughts on this I’d appreciate it! Thanks 🙂
 
How about calling the parish office and making an appointment for confession at a time that suits your schedule? I suspect that talking some of these issues through with a priest would be very helpful! In my opinion, getting drunk is not necessarily a mortal sin, if you consumed a moderate amount of alcohol, if getting drunk was not your intent, and the alcohol affected you more than usual. The same may be true with other issues as well - you may have a distorted view of the seriousness of sin. A good talk with a priest could set your mind at ease, or at least help you discern in the future whether you need to go to confession.
 
I’ll ditto what the last poster said. If I’m reading your post correctly it sounds like you are going to confession every Saturday. In my experience Priests will often offer advice and practical ways to try to reduce the sin in our lives during the confession. Hopefully yours is doing this for you.

Also, a meeting with a Priest to discuss sin, how it accrues to us, and how to discern between grave and venial sin would probably help you a lot. Take care and I’ll say a prayer for you!
 
Character Zero:
I know that we cannot receive Communion if we are not in a state of grace. Sadly I find myself in this state a lot. I have some issues I need to work out. Around where I live there is only Confession once a week, on Saturdays for an hour. I wish it was everyday. I hate not receiving Communion but I do not want to risk sinning against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Sometimes I dont know if my sin was mortal but I refrain from the Eucharist to be on the safe side.
In the missal at Mass, on the inside cover, it says that if you are not in a state of grace but for some grave reason do not have the opportunity for Confession, you can receive providing that you intend to go to Confession ASAP. Now what is ASAP? Next Saturday? or whenever you can find a priest to confess to? Like last night I got drunk and I understand that is a mortal sin. I think I did not eat enough for dinner, and the amount of alcohol I had affected me more than usual. Now I am wondering if I can receive the Eucharist - I do not know where to go to Confession on a Sunday. I am kind of torn because I want to receive really badly but I dont want to risk what Paul talked about in Corinthians, eating and drinking judgement on myself.
Anyone with some thoughts on this I’d appreciate it! Thanks 🙂
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Dear Zero,
ASAP means the very next time the Sacrament is offered or we call and make arrangements with a priest to hear our confession.

One of the conditions for absolution is that we try to avoid falling into the same sin again. But I know from experience that is often easier said than done. Most people if they are honest would have to admit that that is a struggle for most people. The Lord understands our weekness but He does ask us to try.

I would advise you to seek the advise of the priest when you go to Confession. Tell him about you situation.

God Bless You and Give You Peace,
DigitalDeacon
 
arnulf made a good point with confession… you can go at anytime. Just call up your rectory, or any catholic rectory, and ask if the you could come in to have a priest hear your confession. 😃
 
you can go at anytime. Just call up your rectory, or any catholic rectory, and ask if the you could come in to have a priest hear your confession
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Ditto that. A priest worth his salt will hear your confession if you call or even just show up and knock on the rectory door. I know, I’ve done it myself often enough. Do it, don’t put it off. :blessyou:
 
Guys, I want to thank all of you for your answers. Your support has helped me out. Tomorrow I am going to call my church and ask to meet with one of the priests.

Some of my sins are recurring, and yes, I usually go weekly. In the past I got into some bad habits which are tough to break. When I sin now I hate it but for some reason I keep falling to temptation. It is happening less than before but it still happens and I do not like that.

Sometimes if I sin, if it is one that puts me out of a state of grace, I get depressed. Then the next time temptation comes I sometimes think, I’m out of a state of grace, so… and you know where that leads.

I know that we are to be in a state of grace to receive Communion. I also read (I think I also posted this above) that if there is no opportunity for Confession we can receive if we plan to go to Confession ASAP. I do not understand that, because aren’t you still not in a state of grace? Does God, knowing your intention to Confess as soon as possible, absolve you there? If not then how can we receive the Eucharist without sinning against the Lord’s Body and Blood?

I love the Catholic Church, I have grown up in it, and everything about it rings true. I can feel the Real Presence when I walk into Church. And Catholic theology makes so much sense, that I believe it must be true, there could be no other explanation. But this question really bugs me because I cannot figure it out. Any help would really be appreciated.
 
You also need to be careful about scrupulosity. That is, being overly hard on yourself. It can be a sin of pride. You need to trust that you are absolved of your all your sins in Confession and that the penetential rite at mass absolves you of your venial sins. With frequent confession, I would think that mortal sin would probably be rare.
 
When you see your priest, don’t just see him for confession. Ask him to refer you to a priest who has a reputation as a good spiritual director. Maybe your own priest is such, but, frankly, most priests are not skilled directors. The odds are that your priest will be among the majority, even if he is a good confessor.

You need to see a spiritual director regularly–say, once a month. He not only will absolve you of your sins in confession but will give you a gameplan you can follow to break habits of sin and to build up your overall spiritual life.

If you live near a monastery or abbey, that may be a good place to find an experienced director.
 
Is it possible, if you cannot make it to confession for whatever reason, and you want to take the host, that you do a personal private confession?

Just wondering because I often say the act of contrition before taking the Eucharist and ask the Lord to forgive me. I have only recently been back to doing confession and I am trying to make it a habit of going more.

Would I be taking the host unworthily? I don’t think I would be. I’d appreciate some insight on this.

Thanks
 
Character Zero:
I know that we cannot receive Communion if we are not in a state of grace. Sadly I find myself in this state a lot. I have some issues I need to work out. Around where I live there is only Confession once a week, on Saturdays for an hour. I wish it was everyday. I hate not receiving Communion but I do not want to risk sinning against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Sometimes I dont know if my sin was mortal but I refrain from the Eucharist to be on the safe side.
In the missal at Mass, on the inside cover, it says that if you are not in a state of grace but for some grave reason do not have the opportunity for Confession, you can receive providing that you intend to go to Confession ASAP. Now what is ASAP? Next Saturday? or whenever you can find a priest to confess to? Like last night I got drunk and I understand that is a mortal sin. I think I did not eat enough for dinner, and the amount of alcohol I had affected me more than usual. Now I am wondering if I can receive the Eucharist - I do not know where to go to Confession on a Sunday. I am kind of torn because I want to receive really badly but I dont want to risk what Paul talked about in Corinthians, eating and drinking judgement on myself.
Anyone with some thoughts on this I’d appreciate it! Thanks 🙂
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I don’t think people go in and out of states of grace repeatedly within a short period of time. The important thing, IMO, is the trend of one’s life; are we getting closer or farther from God. With that in mind, IMO, if one has a genuine desire to be united to Christ, which includes defeating sin, then one is in a proper state to receive communion. Now that automatically means that one has the intention of confessing any serious unconfessed sin at the earliest opportunity. If there is an opportunity to confess before receiving, then by all means take it. But if, for any reason besides laziness or neglect, you haven’t had the chance to go to confession, I would not deprive myself of communion on that account. The main prupose of communion is to give us strenght to resist temptation. I think it is self-defeating to deprive oneself of this as long as we are fighting. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with asking for forgiveness ourselves in prayer, although it’s not a substitute for confession. Joe
 
go Leafs go:
Is it possible, if you cannot make it to confession for whatever reason, and you want to take the host, that you do a personal private confession?

Just wondering because I often say the act of contrition before taking the Eucharist and ask the Lord to forgive me. I have only recently been back to doing confession and I am trying to make it a habit of going more.

Would I be taking the host unworthily? I don’t think I would be. I’d appreciate some insight on this.
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It depends on the sin. If you have committed a mortal sin then taking the host before going to confession would be taking it unworthily. Venial (minor) sins do not require the sacrament of reconciliation before the reception of the Eucharist. Your contrition is certainly appropriate in that instance.
 
I have another question for you guys, I hope you don’t mind. As I understand it, there is objective sin and subjective sin. Objective sin being any sin in the eyes of God. Subjectively - like if you do not know something is a sin, and you do it, its still a sin, but its not mortal.

I understand that to be guilty of mortal sin it must be
-a grave matter
-you understand its a grave matter
-you intend to do it

If someone could clarify the part where you understand that its a grave sin…I need answers on this. What if the Church says that something is a grave offense but you cannot understand why. How do we define “understand.” ?
Please know that I am entirely sincere here, and I am not looking for some loophole to sin, but I just don’t get it, and I worry about my salvation, and it really bothers me, and if I am worrying so much on an issue that I should not be worrying so much about, …well I dont want to become a nervous wreck.
 
Character Zero:
Guys, I want to thank all of you for your answers. Your support has helped me out. Tomorrow I am going to call my church and ask to meet with one of the priests.

Some of my sins are recurring, and yes, I usually go weekly. In the past I got into some bad habits which are tough to break. When I sin now I hate it but for some reason I keep falling to temptation. It is happening less than before but it still happens and I do not like that.

Sometimes if I sin, if it is one that puts me out of a state of grace, I get depressed. Then the next time temptation comes I sometimes think, I’m out of a state of grace, so… and you know where that leads.

I know that we are to be in a state of grace to receive Communion. I also read (I think I also posted this above) that if there is no opportunity for Confession we can receive if we plan to go to Confession ASAP. I do not understand that, because aren’t you still not in a state of grace? Does God, knowing your intention to Confess as soon as possible, absolve you there? If not then how can we receive the Eucharist without sinning against the Lord’s Body and Blood?

I love the Catholic Church, I have grown up in it, and everything about it rings true. I can feel the Real Presence when I walk into Church. And Catholic theology makes so much sense, that I believe it must be true, there could be no other explanation. But this question really bugs me because I cannot figure it out. Any help would really be appreciated.
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God takes in to account our effort not to sin even if we fall into it,Saint Teresa the little flower said “not to fall what an illusion”.
it is a constant battle everday against sin,remember we are but dust, weak and funerable, anyway hope you find peace within your self. :blessyou: Stephen.
 
Character Zero:
If someone could clarify the part where you understand that its a grave sin…I need answers on this. What if the Church says that something is a grave offense but you cannot understand why. How do we define “understand.” ?
Please know that I am entirely sincere here, and I am not looking for some loophole to sin, but I just don’t get it, and I worry about my salvation, and it really bothers me, and if I am worrying so much on an issue that I should not be worrying so much about, …well I dont want to become a nervous wreck.
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I’ve never heard an official differentiation between subjective and objective sin but that does not mean it doesn’t exist. As far as not understanding why something is a sin, my understanding is that you would still be guilty of the sin even if you didn’t understand why.

An example of this might be the Church’s position on birth control. Many people may disagree with this position. Many others may not understand why the Church has this position. Regardless of these excuses, however, the person who understands what the position of the Church is on this issue is sinning if they disobey it.
 
Like last night I got drunk and I understand that is a mortal sin. I think I did not eat enough for dinner, and the amount of alcohol I had affected me more than usual.
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Remember for a sin to be moral it must be a willful act. If you had say gone to a party with the full intention of drinking yourself into a stupor, that would be mortal. However, since in this instance you didn’t intend to become intoxicated, I would think this would be a venial sin, even though getting drunk is considered a “grave matter”. I applaud your efforts to make confession for it.
In the past I got into some bad habits which are tough to break. When I sin now I hate it but for some reason I keep falling to temptation…
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…When I sin now I hate it but for some reason I keep falling to temptation. It is happening less than before but it still happens and I do not like that.
Click to expand...
Sometimes if I sin, if it is one that puts me out of a state of grace, I get depressed.
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Remember also that habit and addiction can reduce our culpability for sin, thereby making a sin venial even if it is a grave matter. One of the ways Satan tempts us is to make us fall into the trap of “Well, I’m already out of Grace, so it doesn’t matter what I do now.” We need to remember that even we are not capable of judging our own hearts, only God can truly see the full extent of the choices we make. If you sin through habit, you don’t know for certain that you are not still in a state of Grace. So to say “Well, it doesn’t matter what I do now”, might actually make you commit a mortal sin to take you out of the Grace you are still in! So if you fall into sin through habit, make a confession, but don’t despair. God is not some sort of Holy Computer, taking our actions and spitting out judgement. He takes into account our entire person, the situations specific to us. You may have more Grace than you think!
 
Guys thank you for all of your help. Yesterday I went to Confession and then Mass. At Confession me and the priest spoke for about 45 minutes, about many of the issues I brought up here. It was wonderful. Please pray for me that I stay on the right path.
 
Character Zero:
I have another question for you guys, I hope you don’t mind. As I understand it, there is objective sin and subjective sin. Objective sin being any sin in the eyes of God. Subjectively - like if you do not know something is a sin, and you do it, its still a sin, but its not mortal.

I understand that to be guilty of mortal sin it must be
-a grave matter
-you understand its a grave matter
-you intend to do it

If someone could clarify the part where you understand that its a grave sin…I need answers on this. What if the Church says that something is a grave offense but you cannot understand why. How do we define “understand.” ?
Please know that I am entirely sincere here, and I am not looking for some loophole to sin, but I just don’t get it, and I worry about my salvation, and it really bothers me, and if I am worrying so much on an issue that I should not be worrying so much about, …well I dont want to become a nervous wreck.
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Dear Friend - (you are no “Zero”)
I see in your letters some of the same struggles I have grappled with for over 40 years. First of all, you must know that Jesus is NEVER there to beat you down, but He is always at your elbow to pick you up. Karl Keating gave you some excellent advice when he suggested that you seek a spiritual director (preferably a priest). If part of your problem is a scrupulous conscience, that can be helped tremendously by the right confessor. Just remember this: TRUST the advice he gives you.
The priest stands between you and God, and takes on himself the responsibility for your taking this advice. You are safe “under the umbrella of obedience”. St. Alphonsus De Ligori spoke of this safety, and he was a Doctor of the Church. Never lose heart when you fall. Jesus told St. Faustina
" The greater the sinner, the greater the RIGHT he has to My Mercy". Mercy is the greatest atribute of God, as it is love that seeks to relieve the misery of others. I also heartily recommend the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. You can find out more about the Divine Mercy devotion at www.marian.org, or by calling the Association of Marian helpers at
1-(800) 462-7426.
Be at Peace, Rick Bohler
 
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