Mortal Sin and Communion?

[Timidandunsure]

I have an odd question, I am not proud of… but…

If you go up for confession, but you believe you are in Mortal Sin, and still take the host, do you create some kind of double wammy mortal sin or something…

I have done this, not because I just don’t want people to see that I don’t get up, but because I secretly hope that God will forgive me and give me his grace, I yearn for it, for the touch of Jesus.

So you ask, why not just go to confession and lift the mortal sin, its a matter of shame mostly. I have forgotten most of my Prayers, and only a smidgen of what to say in the confesional. Not to mention, I have built up quite a list since I last went. I don’t want my local priest to realize this, he is so nice to me, and I would really be embarrased.

I often thought of going to a church I never been to, to go to confession, but doing that seems wrong somehow, like cheating.

They say your soul is dead when your in Mortal sin, I always hated that term, its seems hopeless… I always hold onto hope.

 

[puzzleannie]

if you reject the chance to go to confession you are rejecting God’s mercy, that is serious in itself. It is a sin to deliberately receive holy communion if you are conscious of grave sin (not venial sin, which is taken away when we pray “Lord I am not worthy . . .”). If you are in a circumstance where you have no opportunity to confess and it would cause scandal if you do not receive – a very rare situation - you may make a good act of contrition and resolve to confess at the earliest opportunity, then receive.

the priest will not be embarrassed, there is no sin under the sun he has not heard, and he will not remember it 30 seconds after you leave the confessional, that’s why he is there. To think your sins are somehow worse, less forgiveable, more embarrassing than everybody else’s is actually a kind of inverted spiritual pride, which itself can be very damaging.

Cher doesn’t say much I agree with, but she does say one good thing: just do it.

 

[mark_a]

Timidandunsure:

I have forgotten most of my Prayers, and only a smidgen of what to say in the confesional.

The nice priest knows he hasn’t seen you and knows you’ll need help.

Not to mention, I have built up quite a list since I last went. I don’t want my local priest to realize this, he is so nice to me, and I would really be embarrased.

He’ll be glad he has a chance to do his job. He’ll still be nice to you and respect you even more.

I often thought of going to a church I never been to, to go to confession, but doing that seems wrong somehow, like cheating.

I gotta say I have felt the same way. At one time for me, it had been so long since I had been to confession that I was a stranger to any priest. The one I finally saw took the necessary time with me, even though the confession line was all the way out the door.

 

[alyssa]

I’ve been Catholic all my life- and I STILL take a written copy of the act of contrition with me! If you need to write down the order in which confession goes- like “sighn of the cross” “bless me father…etc”“it has been” etc, then go ahead.

 

[Viki59]

Last time I took the written copy of the act of contrition with me, but it was too dark to read it!
Duh!
Fortunately the priest was kind. I also resolved to memorize it before next time. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Communion is a double edge sword.It brings people closer to salvation when they receive it worthily and closer to condemnation when they receive it unworthily.

Additionally, to intentionally not confess a mortal sin invalidates the entire confession and NONE of your sins are forgiven. To then receive communion with a mortal sin on your soul is a sin within itself.

 

[Thomas_Jude]

My 2cents:

1. Going to a priest you don’t know is not cheating. Any ordained priest will “work”.
2. If you can’t remember a very formal act of contrition, just say one from the heart like “Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for my sins and grant me the grace to avoid them in the future”. One church in my area has a “cheat sheet” with a number of choices for the Act of Contrition, one of which is “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”.

Tom

 

[johnq]

Timidandunsure :tiphat:

Seeing this passage really helped me on my journey.

1Cor.11
27] Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.
28] Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29] For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
30] That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

Be not afraid, take courage and go.

May