Confessional Help!

[chris1888]

Hi guys, firstly I’d just like to say a big thank you to you all! A few months ago I posted a thread because my girlfriend’s mum, who is a Jehovah’s Witness, had gotten me very confused about my faith. I was overwhelmed by the support and help I recieved and am now a lot more secure in my faith, thanks!
I’ve decided to learn all about my faith so nothing like that happens again. I went to Confession yesterday for the 1st time in a good few years, it was tough but I was so glad I did it. Now here’s my problem, the priest gave me my penance and absolved me but it was only on my way home that I realised that he had forgotten to get me to say an Act of Contrition. He was rushed for 6 o’clock Mass and it must have slipped his mind.
As soon as I got home I phoned the Cathedral, as I was so worried my Confession wasn’t valid, and spoke to the Monsignoir. I explained all this, he thought about it and said that the priest had done everything he needed to do, by giving my penance and absolving me, and he said I should say an Act of Contrition myself and I had already shown sorrow by going to Confession so my Confession is valid.
It’s just I’ve still been troubled and I was just wondering what you thought about all this. Any advice would be great! God Bless!

 

[Sens]

hi!
A priest once told me that what makes confession ‘valid’ is the act of confessing itself and our desire to repent. I do understand why you are worried but I’m sure your confession is valid.

 

[LilyM]

Yup, same thing’s happened to me a few times. Saying the Act of Contrition is not a required part of the Sacrament, and doesn’t affect its validity. Say it privately afterwards if you like.

 

[Joseph_Smith]

www.watchthetower.com this site can tell you about the actually problem with the cult.

 

[Joseph_Smith]

Honey there is not such thing as a act of Contrition, Jesus finished it all. He paid it all with his blood you can’t earn forgiveness. It is his free will to forgive your sin. Read hebrews he is the only high priest. All you have to do is confess your sin to Jesus in prayer and ask for his forgivenss and he will forgive you. If you ever find in the new testiment anything about a act of contrition let me know because i have read it many times. Either Jesus did it all or we all are going to hell because his blood is all that God is looking for. If you have ask for forgivenss Jesus has applied his own blood over your sin how can you add anything to that and make it any more holy before God. We can’t.

 

[Veritas41]

Honey there is not such thing as a act of Contrition, Jesus finished it all. He paid it all with his blood you can’t earn forgiveness. It is his free will to forgive your sin. Read hebrews he is the only high priest. All you have to do is confess your sin to Jesus in prayer and ask for his forgivenss and he will forgive you. If you ever find in the new testiment anything about a act of contrition let me know because i have read it many times. Either Jesus did it all or we all are going to hell because his blood is all that God is looking for. If you have ask for forgivenss Jesus has applied his own blood over your sin how can you add anything to that and make it any more holy before God. We can’t.

You’re right, Jesus did pay it all with His blood, which is why He can offer us His forgiveness and healing in the sacrament of reconciliation. His blood, by which we are redeemed, is applied in this most wonderful sacrament:thumbsup:

 

[Randy_Carson]

Honey there is not such thing as a act of Contrition, Jesus finished it all.

Joseph-

When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He was referring to the passover supper which began in the upper room on Thursday night. The sip of wine taken from the sponge represents the fourth cup of the passover ritual. Only then was the Passover meal complete. Jesus is both Priest and Victim. He is the Lamb that was slain; His is the flesh and blood that YOU must literally receive.

However, you asked about confession of sins to priests. Read on, brother.

Matthew 9:1-8 (Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26)
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Then he said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

To men? Why didn’t Matthew write, “To a man”? Because at the time he wrote this gospel, he and the other Apostles had been hearing confessions for years!

Matthew 18:18
I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

The Apostles are given authority to bind and loose which includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:21-23
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

The ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also called the Sacrament of Confession or Penance.

James 5:14-16
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

The elders are called; they come, hear the man’s confession, forgive his sins, annoint him with oil, and pray for his illness. He receives absolution and healing.

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

Christ is the only mediator, but He told us that all authority was given by God the Father to Him, and He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.