PRAYERS Offered BEFORE Being Able to Confess a Mortal Sin?

[Jaypeeto4]

Hi brothers and sisters, I have an URGENT question:

I KNOW that we cannot receive any INDULGENCES while praying, before confessing a mortal sin,
but are our Prayers HEARD (for ourself and others) before we get to Confess?
I plan to confess a mortal sin this evening,
and don’t want to offer prayers for myself or for others if they are not going to be heard and be offensive to God instead.

Please advise, and God bless you.
Jaypeeto4

 

[Leon_Bloy]

Prayers to God are always heard.

Think about this - if a person committed a mortal sin, and goes to confession to confess it, he is asked by the priest to say the Act of Contrition before getting absolution. Since absolution is what removes the mortal sin, then obviously prayer is not only allowed but required of a person in mortal sin for it to be removed.

Hope that helps.

 

[teachccd]

Prayers to God are always heard.

Think about this - if a person committed a mortal sin, and goes to confession to confess it, he is asked by the priest to say the Act of Contrition before getting absolution. Since absolution is what removes the mortal sin, then obviously prayer is not only allowed but required of a person in mortal sin for it to be removed.

Hope that helps.

This is absolutely correct and I might just add that praying an Act of Perfect Contrition along with the intention of going to confession as soon as possible will remit that mortal sin. You must still refrain from the Eucharist but your sin is forgiven. Yes, Prayers to God are always heard and satan would love nothing more than for you to believe that they are not.

 

[Jaypeeto4]

Hi, thanks for the kind replies.

About the matter of praying an Act of PERFECT Contrition, with the intention of going to confession tonight, remitting that mortal sin, I agree,
but the trouble is, I cannot know with certainty that my contrition is PERFECT.
I have fear of hell and sorrow for disappointing God, but PERFECT contrition?
I can never know that for sure, that’s something only the Lord knows…

Peace,
Jaypeeto4

 

[James924]

This is absolutely correct and I might just add that praying an Act of Perfect Contrition along with the intention of going to confession as soon as possible will remit that mortal sin. You must still refrain from the Eucharist but your sin is forgiven. Yes, Prayers to God are always heard and satan would love nothing more than for you to believe that they are not.

Is there perhaps a bit more to this? The “your sins are forgiven part” kind of rubs me the wrong way. Are there other requirements such as actually having perfect contrition (easier said than done) rather than just praying the Act of Perfect Contrition? Also, is this intended for special circumstances or are we really able to pray such a prayer and presume our sins are forgiven on a regular basis? To what degree are we able to presume that our sins are forgiven after praying such a prayer?

 

[teachccd]

Is there perhaps a bit more to this? The “your sins are forgiven part” kind of rubs me the wrong way. Are there other requirements such as actually having perfect contrition (easier said than done) rather than just praying the Act of Perfect Contrition? Also, is this intended for special circumstances or are we really able to pray such a prayer and presume our sins are forgiven on a regular basis? To what degree are we able to presume that our sins are forgiven after praying such a prayer?

You bring up some great questions and I will give you the best of my knowledge regarding Church teachings on this subject. Perfect contrition requires one to be sorry for their sins not because they dread the fires of hell but because they love God and are truly sorry that they offended Him. We can pray this anytime that we are aware that we have seriously sinned against God with the intention of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation as soon as possible. We must refrain from the Eucharist not because we would go to hell should we die (that’s what our repentance took care of) but out of respect for the sacraments.

To what degree are we to presume that are sins are forgiven? To the degree of our repentance I would imagine. I could not find God watching someone who is in deep sorrow for their sins saying that the sorrow is not real until they get to confession.

There is a section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that refers to this and I will post it if you would like. God is infinite mercy and infinite justice. God is love. We MUST know our God and what He expects of us but mostly how He responds to our weaknesses and failures. I am not undermining any of the Church teachings and I fully recognize that sacramental confession is necessary to reconcile ourselves with God and the community. But I also know that our God who is the very essence of love will not refuse forgiveness to someone who is truly sorry and is turning back to God even minutes after committing the sin. Anything else would be putting God in a box and I seem to observe a lot of that. Remember that we are bound by His commands but He is not…teachccd

 

[teachccd]

1451Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again."50

1452** When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called “perfect” (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.51 **

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52

These are direct references from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I hope that this helps. God bless…teachccd