Need to confess

[Mirror_Mirror]

I know the teachings of the Church as it relates to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist unworthily and this brings up several questions that I have.

Growing up Catholic, this was never something that I had learned and never understood the full capacity of this teaching. Therefore, back in day that I was involved with premarital sex and not confessing it, I receive the Eucharist with mortal sin, uh oh. Now I am worried that I have received the Lord unworthily and am feeling a bit of guilt.

This leads me into another question: when you go to confession and you make a good confession, but you omit some sins simply because you forgot or did not think about it. (by that I mean that you did not go into the confessional knowing that you had premarital sex last week and just freely chose not to confess it) Do those sins still “stick with you” until they are confessed? For example, when I was previously married (have since received an annulment and remarried) we used contraception. At the time I did not know the Church’s teaching on this. Should this be confessed now or was it forgiven when I went to confession some other time through the absolution of the priest? Also, there were times that I had premarital sex that I did not confess them specifically. I made an amazing confession several years ago, confessing premarital sex (in general), masturbation, all kinds of things that I never thought to confess. I felt amazing after this, feeling like every sin that I had ever committed was cleansed. Yet, I still worry about these things. I still wonder if I am receiving the Eucharist unworthily.

I know that we are forgiven by God’s grace and that our venial sins are forgiven at mass, I just fear that at times I am missing a mortal sin, receiving the Eucharist and entering into a state of grave sin. Or maybe I am there now and do not realize it.

 

[jman507]

If you think you have confessed everything you are fine. If you remember something later, bring it up at the next confession. If you did your best to remember everything in the past before your general confession that was probably good. If you remember something spacific bring it up. Try to let go of it, and focus on living the beattitudes.

God isn’t the IRS trying to make sure that everything was done right and if you forget something you get a penalty. God wants you turn towards him. Think if you had a child whould you want that child to be so worried about doing something wrong, or would you want him to get back up if he falls and startsback trying to do what is right?

Good for you for going to confession. Though as I’m sure you’ve know, nothing feels better than getting out of the confessional after a good confession. But if you are worried make sure you bring it up with a priest. Confession can be a conviente time.

 

[twhicke]

Mirror Mirror:

I know the teachings of the Church as it relates to receiving Jesus in the Eucharist unworthily and this brings up several questions that I have.

Growing up Catholic, this was never something that I had learned and never understood the full capacity of this teaching. Therefore, back in day that I was involved with premarital sex and not confessing it, I receive the Eucharist with mortal sin, uh oh. Now I am worried that I have received the Lord unworthily and am feeling a bit of guilt.

This leads me into another question: when you go to confession and you make a good confession, but you omit some sins simply because you forgot or did not think about it. (by that I mean that you did not go into the confessional knowing that you had premarital sex last week and just freely chose not to confess it) Do those sins still “stick with you” until they are confessed? For example, when I was previously married (have since received an annulment and remarried) we used contraception. At the time I did not know the Church’s teaching on this. Should this be confessed now or was it forgiven when I went to confession some other time through the absolution of the priest? Also, there were times that I had premarital sex that I did not confess them specifically. I made an amazing confession several years ago, confessing premarital sex (in general), masturbation, all kinds of things that I never thought to confess. I felt amazing after this, feeling like every sin that I had ever committed was cleansed. Yet, I still worry about these things. I still wonder if I am receiving the Eucharist unworthily.

I know that we are forgiven by God’s grace and that our venial sins are forgiven at mass, I just fear that at times I am missing a mortal sin, receiving the Eucharist and entering into a state of grave sin. Or maybe I am there now and do not realize it.

During confession, the priest cleanses you of all your sins, not the ones you just confessed, but it might be good to confess them for you personally.

 

[LSK]

I agree. I think that, especially for those of us who have returned to the Church after leading lives that were less than exemplary, verbalizing what we remember as we remember in Confession is not only good for our souls it is good for our mental health.

Or at least that has been my experience.