Mortal sin, prayer, and confession

[6glargento]

i heard somewhere that if a person is in mortal sin, that all the prayers said by this person between the time when he/she commited the sin to the time when that person goes to confession are of no benifit to him/her and God does not hear them. is that ture?

 

[Windmill]

so what about the prayers you say before making your examination of conscience (prior to confession)?

If you sin mortally, you should try to make an act of perfect contrition, resolve to get to confession as soon as possible, and avoid future occasions of sin. The catechism teaches that perfect contrition returns a soul to the state of grace. Though one must resolve to confess ASAP, and this perfect contrition must be motivated solely by the love of Christ, this does not allow one to receive Holy Communion until sacramental confession restores one to full communion with the Church.

I would go a step further and say that you have a duty to pray if you are conscious of grave sin. Only God’s grace will get you to confession.

 

[InLight247]

God hears all prayers. When one is in sin, one should pray harder, pray whole heartedly, begging for forgiveness.

Psalm 38 is a good example. It was the prayer of an afflicted sinner, David’s prayer.
“Lord, punish me no more in your anger,
in your wrath do not chastise me!
Your arrows have sunk deep in me,
your hand has come down upon me.
My flesh is afflicted because of your anger;
my frame aches because of my sin.
My iniquities overwhelm me,
a burden beyond my strength.
…”

And with good contrition, go to confession as soon as possible.

 

[dylanschrader]

When in a state of mortal sin, the soul is not pleasing to God, that is, it is not supernaturally alive. Thus, it cannot merit anything.

Prayers are still heard, actual graces are still received, and sanctifying grace is only an act of perfect contrition away.

Once you go to confession, however, the merits of the things done in a state of mortal sin will revive.

 

[ComputerGeek25]

I can’t speak for God. But I’m going to venture a guess.

God and his mercy are big enough to forgive any sin. I also like to believe that God is very fair and just.

That said, does he answer the prayers and perform miracles for those in mortal sin? Probably - to some extent.

However, I think God is more inclined to truly help those who help themeselves. I think if one continually sins, isn’t sorry and doesn’t try to change their behavior (and therefore doesn’t go to confession on a regular basis or at all), you’re just spinning your wheels. People in full communion get the most benefit.

I try to go to confession on a regular basis. I try to sin less. Even if I can’t make a confession right away, I’m contrite and try to make a confession at the next possible oppurtunity, and may be worth something.

 

[Sir_Knight]

actual graces are still received

According to homilies that I have heard, I have to disagree. God is like the sun. The light & warmth from the sun is like the love and graces that come from God – they go out to all but when a person is in a state of mortal sin, it is as if they place up an umbrella blocking out the light & warmth … our mortal sin blocks out God’s love and graces.

 

[vince2paul]

Actually, I have asked similar question not so long ago, and I got quite good answers to it. HERE is the link.

 

[dylanschrader]

According to homilies that I have heard, I have to disagree. God is like the sun. The light & warmth from the sun is like the love and graces that come from God – they go out to all but when a person is in a state of mortal sin, it is as if they place up an umbrella blocking out the light & warmth … our mortal sin blocks out God’s love and graces.

Actual graces have to be received, otherwise it would be impossible for us have contrition at all much less the will to go to confession.