I think I got bad advice?

[Biblelove13]

Hello,

I wrote a nun asking for spiritual advice about how I can’t go to confession. She told me to pray sincerely and concentrate and then recieve communion. I have a few problems with this, first, is that I have a lot of intrusive thoughts BECAUSE of my unconfessed sin, so concentrating is really difficult for me. Second, this sounds a little like ‘self-healing’ I really don’g have the right to forgive myself, why would she tell me to go to communion? I’m starting to loose faith if someone who is supposed to be a spiritual leader could give me advice that I think would land me in more trouble. Please help, I know I CAN’T recieve communion until I’ve confessed, but why would she tell me this? I think the devil is trying to trick me into going … any advice?

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Hello,

I wrote a nun asking for spiritual advice about how I can’t go to confession. She told me to pray sincerely and concentrate and then recieve communion. I have a few problems with this, first, is that I have a lot of intrusive thoughts BECAUSE of my unconfessed sin, so concentrating is really difficult for me. Second, this sounds a little like ‘self-healing’ I really don’g have the right to forgive myself, why would she tell me to go to communion? I’m starting to loose faith if someone who is supposed to be a spiritual leader could give me advice that I think would land me in more trouble. Please help, I know I CAN’T recieve communion until I’ve confessed, but why would she tell me this? I think the devil is trying to trick me into going … any advice?

You may not receive Communion if you are in the state of mortal sin. Period. If the nun understood that it was a mortal sin (if it was) and said that you could go anyway, she is just wrong.

Parishes usually do confessions up to about 10-15 before Saturday Mass. No reason that you couldn’t go to Mass just a wee bit early, is there?

Don’t lose Faith. We are all sinners. If something seems wrong, just ask here, or better, someone that you know and trust.

 

[fabricdragon]

my priest explained to me that if i was **unable **to get to confession before mass, it was ok to make a sincere act of contrition AND resolve to go to confession as soon as possible
then take communion
and go to confession

however that was for an inability… and partly because often the devil will use a need to get to confession to keep us from communion, which makes us less likely to go to confession

however
if this is a serious (or mortal) sin… or if there is ANY question that you might not go to confession… do not chance it.
go to Mass and do not take communion
(accept him spiritually instead)
and get to confession

NOT a priest, just repeating what i was told.

 

[St_Francis]

Hello,

I wrote a nun asking for spiritual advice about how I can’t go to confession. She told me to pray sincerely and concentrate and then recieve communion. I have a few problems with this, first, is that I have a lot of intrusive thoughts BECAUSE of my unconfessed sin, so concentrating is really difficult for me. Second, this sounds a little like ‘self-healing’ I really don’g have the right to forgive myself, why would she tell me to go to communion? I’m starting to loose faith if someone who is supposed to be a spiritual leader could give me advice that I think would land me in more trouble. Please help, I know I CAN’T recieve communion until I’ve confessed, but why would she tell me this? I think the devil is trying to trick me into going … any advice?

Are you having trouble going to confession because you are in a foreign country and do not know the language? Can you call or email the English-speaking priest (catch him after Mass and ask him how to reach him); then maybe he has a regular Sunday when he comes early for Confessions, or ask him to come early, or else do it after Mass? Given the situation, he should be totally willing to do this, or else be able to offer an alternative.

Persevere. It is all right for you to go to Mass and abstain from the Eucharist until your sins have been absolved.

I think that the nun was considering certain extraordinary situations when people are unable to go to Confession or who receive a General Absolution. I don’t think that her advice was necessarily *bad *advice, but I think there is something that we don’t know about it.

Keep trying with the priest (unless I missed that you already have…)

 

[michaelmas]

As the 2nd post mentions, if you are in a state of Mortal Sin then you can not receive. However, you can receive spiritual communion.

As for mortal sins. Read about the definition in the Catechism. There are A LOT of requirements and in my opinion, yes purely my opinion, it isn’t easy to commit a mortal sin unless you are really trying too.

Am I currently in a state of mortal sin because of what I did the other day? I am not sure if the person in front of me in line at the cash register at the cash station left the change or the another customer but I failed to run after the guy when I realized he had left 30 cents. The gas station was very busy so the clerk and I just put it into the charity box next to the register. Later I saw the same guy at Hardware Hank and physically tried to run his car down to tell him what I had done. Now, Am I in a state of mortal sin for not doing my very best to get him his 30 cents?

I wrestled with this on whether it was sinful or not. I did not set out to steal from this man and since it was 30 cents, the chaos of the busy station, I dismissed it as a trivial amount and put it in the charity box. As I drove away I begin to rethink it. Tomorrow is a holy day and I plan on receiving communion because I don’t think I am in a state of mortal sin. What do you think?

I don’t know what sin you committed but it sounds like the nun is thinking it isn’t mortal.

 

[cmscms]

I wrote a nun asking for spiritual advice about how I can’t go to confession.

Why can’t you go to confession? Is it because there is no confession at a time you can attend? In that case, I think perhaps the nun meant you had the desire and it was not your fault so it is OK. Or perhaps she though your sins were venial

If however, the problem is you can’t go to confession because you do not have the courage, are scared of being judge or emotionally incapable, that is a different story.

I don’t know the whole story. Perhaps the nun doesn’t either. Writing someone for spiritual advice is not always good because a lot of misunderstandings occur when the conversation is not face to face. If it is a case the nun didn’t fully understand your question, cut her some slack. If it is a case she is not a helpful person … Welcome to the church. I find very few practicing Catholic as good as they are have the gift of being able to help others

I think through prayer, you will know in your heart which case it is

CM