Forgiveness

[Elspeth]

Does asking and accepting forgiveness for sins mean one should no longer feel guilty? Is guilt a sign that one has not really accepted God’s forgiveness, or is it a healthy thing that would prevent one from repeating the mistake?

Elspeth

 

[paulCT]

I’m not sure if I’m the right person for this question, but I’m going to do my best.

Keep in mind, guilt is primarily an emotion experienced by people who believe they have done something wrong. If you feel guilt after asking forgiveness or after confession, you probably realize how grave and harmful your actions were to someone, to yourself or to God.

As Pope Benedict XVI reminds, the saints are not people who never made mistakes or sinned, but who repented and were reconciled.

In life we’re going to make mistakes that will cause us guilt. Remember that God is the original source of all forgiveness, and He will always forgive us. Sometimes we need to learn to forgive ourselves. If you are still having problems with guilt, you may want to seek guidance from your parish priest.

I will keep you in my prayers.

 

[Superstar905]

We’ll today I went to confession, and feel free from my sins. That is why I’m on the forums actually as I write this, I feel great. That said, I still do feel guilty for my sins, because they were mortal. So, although I have accepted God’s forgiveness, I do feel guilty for falling in the first place, and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that.

Like you said, it probably helps prevent it from happening again!