K
Kmon23
Guest
I will join the RCIA next year January. Confession is pretty new to me. Beforehand it was just a matter of confessing to God (was United Methodist). Now, I’ve been keeping account of sins in a notepad on my phone (don’t worry it’s locked).
However, I can’t seem to discern between mortal and venial sins. I know the technical definition of mortal sin (learned it in Catholicism class), however I feel that anything wrong I do is a mortal sin. When I ate a croissant today, and I threw away the napkin in trash, a piece of crumb fell to the ground (just a very small crumb). If I’m not mistaken most would not consider this a sin at all. However for me, I’m not supposed to leave trash or “crumbs” on the floor, and I just feel that I’ve committed a mortal sin. I’ve eaten every grain of rice thinking it is a sin to waste food, and if there was a grain of rice behind, that I’ve committed a mortal sin.
I feel that any sin I commit is a mortal sin. Logically people can differentiate between the two, but usually how I feel doesn’t go away. I’m also worried about confession. I should confess all my mortal sins but I feel that in telling information, I can’t tell if I am withholding something or not. I asked in a previous thread if this is one sin or two (regarding impurity), most said it can be clumped together. However, I feel maybe I also want to not tell and just think to myself that it it is okay to clump the sins together. If I did something that I may think is okay in the past, I think that it is possible I am just deceiving myself to think otherwise. Regarding all my sins or what I think are sins, or anything that I don’t think is necessary to tell (such as the one vs. two separate sins), I am just thinking that way but on my own will.
Another example is telling how often I may have committed a sin. I may not know the exact number and tell some estimate. But maybe I do know a more accurate answer and so I am withholding that information, but I am deceiving myself to think otherwise that the estimate I gave was to the best of my knowledge. I just don’t know if what I am thinking is what I actually know or think.
Here is another example. There is a girl and as I walk by I think something lustful and so I turn my head to not think of it. Okay, so I did a good thing by avoiding temptation. But what if I am just making myself think that? What if I committed a mortal sin? What if in that split second that I did think those thoughts and was looking at the girl, I did willfully think those thoughts and to look at that person instead of looking away instantly. I’m just making myself think otherwise? To think otherwise, maybe I am just deceiving myself? How can I know what I actually know? And if I were to confess it just in case, what if I do know that I didn’t do it willfully, but I am just deceiving myself to think so? Then I would be lying that I sinned by willfully thinking such thoughts.
Any advice regarding this, in discerning mortal/venial sins, and how I should go about confession (won’t be until next year, but thinking ahead).
However, I can’t seem to discern between mortal and venial sins. I know the technical definition of mortal sin (learned it in Catholicism class), however I feel that anything wrong I do is a mortal sin. When I ate a croissant today, and I threw away the napkin in trash, a piece of crumb fell to the ground (just a very small crumb). If I’m not mistaken most would not consider this a sin at all. However for me, I’m not supposed to leave trash or “crumbs” on the floor, and I just feel that I’ve committed a mortal sin. I’ve eaten every grain of rice thinking it is a sin to waste food, and if there was a grain of rice behind, that I’ve committed a mortal sin.
I feel that any sin I commit is a mortal sin. Logically people can differentiate between the two, but usually how I feel doesn’t go away. I’m also worried about confession. I should confess all my mortal sins but I feel that in telling information, I can’t tell if I am withholding something or not. I asked in a previous thread if this is one sin or two (regarding impurity), most said it can be clumped together. However, I feel maybe I also want to not tell and just think to myself that it it is okay to clump the sins together. If I did something that I may think is okay in the past, I think that it is possible I am just deceiving myself to think otherwise. Regarding all my sins or what I think are sins, or anything that I don’t think is necessary to tell (such as the one vs. two separate sins), I am just thinking that way but on my own will.
Another example is telling how often I may have committed a sin. I may not know the exact number and tell some estimate. But maybe I do know a more accurate answer and so I am withholding that information, but I am deceiving myself to think otherwise that the estimate I gave was to the best of my knowledge. I just don’t know if what I am thinking is what I actually know or think.
Here is another example. There is a girl and as I walk by I think something lustful and so I turn my head to not think of it. Okay, so I did a good thing by avoiding temptation. But what if I am just making myself think that? What if I committed a mortal sin? What if in that split second that I did think those thoughts and was looking at the girl, I did willfully think those thoughts and to look at that person instead of looking away instantly. I’m just making myself think otherwise? To think otherwise, maybe I am just deceiving myself? How can I know what I actually know? And if I were to confess it just in case, what if I do know that I didn’t do it willfully, but I am just deceiving myself to think so? Then I would be lying that I sinned by willfully thinking such thoughts.
Any advice regarding this, in discerning mortal/venial sins, and how I should go about confession (won’t be until next year, but thinking ahead).
