Help Please! Confession Question...Urgent!

[A_Servant]

I am a recent convert to the Catholic Church. I came because God in a miraculous way brought me out of Agnosticism and Atheism and doubt. I have been attending Mass faithfully and am to be Confirmed this coming Pentacost. However, there are very bad and harmful habits, which could be called addictions, that have continued from my Atheistic past…that I did not see as wrong then and now I do…and I am addicted. This sin is a form of sexual misconduct. about a weeks ago I got fed up with myself, and decided I needed a reason to stop, a failsafe way of stopping. So I did probably the most unwise thing I could do, I vowed to God privately that I would never commit this sin again as long as I was alive. And I fought all this week, but just a few hours ago, I lost a battle, the sin took over, and I broke my vow to God, before I did, I asked God to free me from my vow, but I know that was not possible. I broke the vow. I am considering entering the priesthood and as such I have given everything to God…God is my lifesource, as He truly is of everyone, but for me I draw my feeling, my life, and my love from Him, or at least I try to. As a result of breaking this vow, I put barriers of mortal sin between me and God. I cannot access His Divine Life , I am separated from Him because of my own free choice to commit mortal sin, and now I feel dead. I feel awful and dead inside, because I am separated from my true Life. As you can see this is a dire situation. I have an appointment with my priest this Tuesday to discuss my Confirmation…can I confess and be absolved of my sins even though I am yet unconfirmed? My heart is heavy and I need absolution, I need to feel His presence again. Should I ask the priest to hear an emergency Confession at the appointment Tuesday, do I have to wait, what should I do? Please Help!

 

[twopekinguys]

I am a recent convert to the Catholic Church. I came because God in a miraculous way brought me out of Agnosticism and Atheism and doubt. I have been attending Mass faithfully and am to be Confirmed this coming Pentacost. However, there are very bad and harmful habits, which could be called addictions, that have continued from my Atheistic past…that I did not see as wrong then and now I do…and I am addicted. This sin is a form of sexual misconduct. about a weeks ago I got fed up with myself, and decided I needed a reason to stop, a failsafe way of stopping. So I did probably the most unwise thing I could do, I vowed to God privately that I would never commit this sin again as long as I was alive. And I fought all this week, but just a few hours ago, I lost a battle, the sin took over, and I broke my vow to God, before I did, I asked God to free me from my vow, but I know that was not possible. I broke the vow. I am considering entering the priesthood and as such I have given everything to God…God is my lifesource, as He truly is of everyone, but for me I draw my feeling, my life, and my love from Him, or at least I try to. As a result of breaking this vow, I put barriers of mortal sin between me and God. I cannot access His Divine Life , I am separated from Him because of my own free choice to commit mortal sin, and now I feel dead. I feel awful and dead inside, because I am separated from my true Life. As you can see this is a dire situation. I have an appointment with my priest this Tuesday to discuss my Confirmation…can I confess and be absolved of my sins even though I am yet unconfirmed? My heart is heavy and I need absolution, I need to feel His presence again. Should I ask the priest to hear an emergency Confession at the appointment Tuesday, do I have to wait, what should I do? Please Help!

First of all, don’t freak out. We all sin, and fall short of the Glory of God. That is one of the beauties of the Catholic Church. We acknowledge that we are sinners.

If you are to be confirmed on Pentacost, then I am assuming that you have already been baptised. If you have,then you should be making a confession whether this particular issue arose or not.

I would suggest that you contact your priest, and tell him that you would like to receive the sacrament of reconciliation during your meeting, so he will be prepared.

We all have our “favorite” sin. You know, the one that happens rather frequently. Some sins become a matter of habit, and you should work at breaking the habit. This doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be done cold turkey so to speak. But you have to make a concentrated effort to cease the behavior. If you fall down (mess up), just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Keep trying to break the habit.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bookcat]

Hello,

I assume you have been received into the Church? and are baptized…and thus made your first confession?..or were you just recently baptized?

confirmation is not needed for confession…

1. You may go to confession and be absolved. Part of that confession will need to be that you made this private vow so tell the priest. The all will be forgiven…

…until then try to make a perfect act of contrition out of love of God…this can already be a work of the forgiveness of God …if you intend to go to confesion …as soon as is reasonably possible…

1. Try to get to confession as soon as reasonably possible…you can just give a priest a call and come over for confession…
2. Your* pastor *may dispense you from your private vow. Then it will be no more. …and all will be well. God loves you and understands…(it needs to be your actual pastor or some other priest given the facilties by your Bishop to dispense private vows)
3. Of course continue to have the firm resolution to not commit any mortal sin and avoid near occasions of sin…but perhaps such a vow is not a good thing for you at the moment…

and do not loose heart…Jesus the Good Shepherd knows you and loves you…you are his sheep…he will tend your wounds as you come to him…

 

[Bookcat]

What I meant to say was that you need to tell the priest about this vow in confession …for if was a true private vow it would need to be mentioned for you sinned against it…

 

[A_Servant]

I was baptized in a Protestant Church. The baptism has been determined valid by the Church, but I have not yet been received into the Catholic Church. I am to be fully received into the Church this coming Pentacost.

 

[Bookcat]

I was baptized in a Protestant Church. The baptism has been determined valid by the Church, but I have not yet been received into the Catholic Church. I am to be fully received into the Church this coming Pentacost.

When you say “fully received” -were you received at Easter (the priest received you into the Church) but just waiting for Confirmation? If so that would mean that you were received…but just waiting for Confirmation…

If not…

Have you made your first confession yet? At some point prior to being received into the Church you would make your first confession (all mortal sins in number and kind since baptism)… have you already done this?

In your case you can go to the Priest who is working with you…and take to him about makeing your first confession…or if you have done this …about making your next confession it would seem.

Not sure completely sure…but I believe if you have not been received yet…you may then need to wait for the vow to be dispensed until you are received…but the sins can still be confessed and absolved