Question on Confession

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philv

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I already asked God for forgiveness on something and he knows my heart. Do I go to confession saying I already asked for forgiveness and just ask for insight? I believe it’s wrong to ask for forgiveness twice because it denies God’s forgiveness the first time.
 
God gave us the Sacrament of Confession – tis his idea.

One is obliged to confess all ones mortal sins in number and kind (and circumstance that changes the kind --such as it was your brother you murdered).

It is recommended to confess (at least some) venial sins as well --even if they have already been forgiven in other ways. Our sin etc also involves the Church.
 
No. You go to Confessional and humbly Confess your sins to the priest, who is acting as God’s representative, who will act as judge and determine the state of your soul, and if he judges you to be properly disposed to receive absolution, then he will absolve you. Jesus instituted Confession when he said to the apostles, “whomever sins you forgive, they are forgiven. Whomever sins you retain, they are retained.”
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Only God forgives sin
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1441 Only God forgives sins.39 Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven."40 Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.
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Confession Reconciles us with the Church
Reconciliation with the Church
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1443 During his public life Jesus not only forgave sins, but also made plain the effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God’s forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God.44
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The sacrament of forgiveness
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1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as “the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.”
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So, just go to Confession and confess the sin. No need to explain further.

Jim
 
I see the reasoning. Just for discussion, before Christ told the apostles to forgive and retain sins, there were multiple times the crowds were told to repent of their sins but there was no church or priests yet. I would have to think there’s more than one way then, but the Catholic church tends to focus on just one way, unless Christ changed the earlier way of repenting sins to repenting with the church. One might say they confessed face-to-face to Christ back then before the church, but John the Baptist was telling them to repent and be baptized, but Christ wasn’t in the public life yet. So they were confessing before seeing Christ - ie he wasn’t present yet when they repented. How can it just be limited to one way (confessing to the church) than confessing both ways (in prayer and in confession)? Did Christ shut the door on personal repentance during John the Baptist’s time after he told the apostles to forgive and retain sins?
 
philv said:
I see the reasoning. Interestingly enough, before Christ told the apostles to forgive and retain sins, there were multiple times the crowds were told to repent of their sins but there was no church or priests yet. I would have to think there’s more than one way then, but the Catholic church tends to focus on just one way, unless Christ changed the earlier way of repenting sins to repenting with the church. One might say they confessed to Christ back then before the church, but John the Baptist was telling them to repent and be baptized, but Christ wasn’t in the public life yet. So they were confessing before seeing Christ - ie he wasn’t present yet when they repented.
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Jesus was the priest whom sinners repented to. He forgave them their sins and told them to sin no more. The good thief confessed to Jesus right before he died, and was told “this day you will be with me in paradise.” Prior to Jesus, people imperfectly repented of their sins by going to the high priests and offering animal sacrifices. The animal used depended on the sin committed, thus the sinner would have to confess his sin in order to know which animal to use. Confession is very Biblical.
 
philv said:
I already asked God for forgiveness on something and he knows my heart. Do I go to confession saying I already asked for forgiveness and just ask for insight? I believe it’s wrong to ask for forgiveness twice because it denies God’s forgiveness the first time.
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While there is certainly merit in asking God directly for forgiveness of our sins, I believe as a Catholic we should go to confession before the priest. This is how I was taught, but not ever to judge others for their actions and beliefs. I hope some of this may help you answer your question.

I can tell you this, I have had more than several sins that I was ashamed to confess to the priest, yet I prayed to God for strength and courage to do what I had been taught as correct even though I had asked him directly for forgiveness. I did end up going to confession and doing penance, for which I felt much better afterwards than I had before.

I believe that the Sacrament of Confession, by its very nature, confers graces that help us to live a Christian life, which is why the Church requires us to receive it at least once per year. Moreover, it was instituted by Christ to His Church as the proper form for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, we should not only be willing to receive the sacrament, but we should embrace it as a gift from a loving God.

This may help you to understand Confession and Penance more deeply: vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm
 
So one is saying they confessed face-to-face to Christ back then before the church, but John the Baptist was telling them to repent and be baptized, but Christ wasn’t in the public life yet. Who were they repenting to? It was in prayer they were repenting. So they were confessing before seeing Christ - ie he wasn’t present yet when they repented.

So did Christ stop that personal repentance in prayer only after he told the apostles to forgive and retain sins? I’m looking at this biblically and it seems there’s two ways from my understanding, both very biblical and true.
 
philv said:
So one is saying they confessed face-to-face to Christ back then before the church, but John the Baptist was telling them to repent and be baptized, but Christ wasn’t in the public life yet. Who were they repenting to? It was in prayer they were repenting. So they were confessing before seeing Christ - ie he wasn’t present yet when they repented.

So did Christ stop that personal repentance in prayer only after he told the apostles to forgive and retain sins? I’m looking at this biblically and it seems there’s two ways from my understanding, both very biblical and true.
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What happened when some of John the Baptists disciples who had repented and received his baptism of repentance – later encountered Christians?

They still had to repent and be baptized and their sins where forgiven and they received the Holy Spirit.

Are we to pray for forgiveness? Yes -certainly! Let us do so …

Are we required to confess our mortal sins (those committed after Baptism --if any are committed) --yes certainly.

Can they be forgiven before that? Yes. Via the grace of perfect contrition.

Do they still need to be confessed and is one to confess them before receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist? yes.

Can venial sins be forgiven without confess? Yes

Do they need to be confessed? no though it is recommended (at least some of them).

Indeed venial sins be forgiven in many ways. Though in the Sacrament there is more too it…special graces…etc
 
Catechism:

1456 Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."54

1457 … Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession.57 Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.58

1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful
Catechism:

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
 
philv said:
I already asked God for forgiveness on something and he knows my heart. Do I go to confession saying I already asked for forgiveness and just ask for insight? I believe it’s wrong to ask for forgiveness twice because it denies God’s forgiveness the first time.
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Hello, philv.

I join with everybody else in saying that we, as Catholics, have to Confess our mortal sins in the Sacrament of Penance. Others have provided some great reading material and supporting documentation for this. I would recommend that you look it over with your heart and mind open to the teachings of Holy Church.

I would also like to add a different perspective. I was not Catholic for most of my life; I was Protestant Christian (Methodist, specifically). As a Protestant, I did not believe in the Sacrament of Penance and, instead, recognized a requirement that I take my sins, and my repentance, directly to God in prayer. And I did so. But I had no idea what I was missing.

When I became a Catholic for a long list of reasons, I have to admit that Confession was the part that I was most troubled by. Looking back, I realize that I wasn’t scared of the Sacrament itself as much as I was afraid of having to really face my sins. It is pretty easy to say a silent prayer to God asking for forgiveness. But the Sacrament forces us to really analyse what we’ve done and speak it aloud to another human being – to really face our sins and our imperfections. It’s hard, but it is important.

I have forgotten who said it, but a convert once said something like, “I never really had to face my sins until I had to speak them aloud.” Maybe somebody can dig up the exact quote ;). But I love that sentiment, because it rings completely true with my experiences.

And not only that, but you get to hear somebody, a man vested with God’s authority through his Holy Orders, *tell you *that you are forgiven. I found, as a Protestant, that even when I brought my sins to God in prayer, I never had any *certainty *that I had made a proper confession and been forgiven. I hoped I was, and I tried to do my best. But there is a real power in being told, in plain English, by somebody with authority, that your Confession was good and your sins are forgiven. That’s part of why Christ gave us a Church and the Sacraments – as clear signs of the things of faith, so that we might have certainty. We are body and soul; matter and spirit. The Sacraments all work on both; the *physical *act of seeking forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance, of speaking the sins to priest, has value.

That habit of asking forgiveness for your sins in prayer is a good habit – especially if you do so soon after committing the sin, since it shows you have a well-formed conscience and are aware of your sins. But we should still avail ourselves to the Sacrament, which is one of the greatest gifts we have as Catholics. The joining of a spiritual and physical act of seeking forgiveness, and the certainty of receiving it from a man with God-given authority, just can’t be beat. We should seek forgiveness in the way Christ asked us to…in obedience to him, and to the Church that he founded.

God bless you :).
 
I agreed about confession earlier. Thanks for the insight earlier.

This is just extra talk/philosophy talk, whatever:
I’ve been wondering if confession is the only way though because before Jesus’ public life, John the Baptist told everyone to repent and be baptized. They could only do this through prayer then. So that means God gave access to repentance through prayer. That’s #1 option. The #2 Option is Jesus came into the public life and had the authority to forgive sins. Option #3 is he gave the apostles the ability to forgive and retain sins. The church stresses option #3 these days, but from what I see in the bible, there is more available to us. What if you’re lost in the woods and about to be mobbed by a bear, and you confess all your sins to God? Why is the door open to personal repentance all the sudden when it wasn’t earlier when you had access to a church? I tend to think it’s because that was the Church’s last instruction by Christ about the forgiveness of sins.
Bookcat said:
What happened when some of John the Baptists disciples who had repented and received his baptism of repentance – later encountered Christians?

They still had to repent and be baptized and their sins where forgiven and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Can you please show a verse of a few of John the Baptist’s disciples who previously repented had to repent again with the Christians?
 
If you have repented of your sin and “confessed” before God, that implies that you have taken steps to change your life (conversion). When you go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you might mention what steps you have taken to change your life and ask for God’s grace to refrain from this sin in the future.
Do get overly elaborate. As others have stated, simply state the sins you have committed. That being said, I have been encouraged to give some background. Example: You knowingly accept the extra change a vendor gives you. After walking away, you repent and return the money. This is something you might choose to mention. It would include the sin (theft) and the change of heart which led you to the confessional.
 
philv said:
I agreed about confession earlier. Thanks for the insight earlier.

This is just extra talk/philosophy talk, whatever:
I’ve been wondering if confession is the only way though because before Jesus’ public life, John the Baptist told everyone to repent and be baptized. They could only do this through prayer then. So that means God gave access to repentance through prayer. That’s #1 option. The #2 Option is Jesus came into the public life and had the authority to forgive sins. Option #3 is he gave the apostles the ability to forgive and retain sins. The church stresses option #3 these days, but from what I see in the bible, there is more available to us. What if you’re lost in the woods and about to be mobbed by a bear, and you confess all your sins to God? Why is the door open to personal repentance all the sudden when it wasn’t earlier when you had access to a church? I tend to think it’s because that was the Church’s last instruction by Christ about the forgiveness of sins.
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The whole world change when Christ entered history. A new and glorious way of life --true life – began.

As for the bear – God can work in ways outside the Sacraments he gave us. But we are to live them…

The door is always open. One should not wait til confession to seek forgiveness.

Catechism:

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​

Mortal sins do need to be confessed --of course. Even if one believes one has perfect contrition …(that is actually part of perfect contrition -that intent to confess…) (and of course they need to confess prior to Holy Communion)

Venial sins can be forgiven even with just repentance in prayer --for one is still in life the true life of living in Christ…but it is still recommended to confess at least some in Confession --for that is a special way of grace regarding sins.
 
John’s baptism was and remained a “baptism of repentance”…those who were baptized by him were not yet Christians…did not receive the Sacrament.

In Acts those when those who had been baptized only by John were encountered…they had to be baptized with Christian baptism…and then received the Holy Spirit…
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church:**

720 Finally, with John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to man of “the divine likeness,” prefiguring what he would achieve with and in Christ. John’s baptism was for repentance; baptism in water and the Spirit will be a new birth.

Johns Baptism was for repentance…it is only with Christian Baptism that one will be baptized in water and the Spirit …and it is the baptism that brings new birth.

"Returning now to the Gospel passage, let us seek to better understand what is happening today. St Mark recounts that it was just when John the Baptist was preaching on the banks of the River Jordan, proclaiming the urgent need for conversion in view of the now imminent coming of the Messiah, that Jesus, who was among the crowds, presented himself to be baptized. John’s Baptism is indisputably a Baptism of penance, very different from the sacrament that Jesus was to institute. "–Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20090111_battesimo_en.html

The baptism John offers is one of repentance, a sign that is an invitation to conversion, to a change of life, because One is coming who will “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (3: 16). —Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20100110_battesimo_en.html
 
philv said:
Can you please show a verse of a few of John the Baptist’s disciples who previously repented had to repent again with the Christians?
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Part of adult Christian baptism is to repent --as Peter notes in Acts 2:38 – repent and be baptized all of you …for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…

(and note that it is reasonable to assume that with the large crowd from all over – that many had already repented and been baptized by John…)

As to disciples of John – Acts 19 --first section – one find an example of those who had received only the baptism of John and who then received Christian Baptism and new life in Christ.
 
philv said:
I already asked God for forgiveness on something and he knows my heart. Do I go to confession saying I already asked for forgiveness and just ask for insight? I believe it’s wrong to ask for forgiveness twice because it denies God’s forgiveness the first time.
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You confessed your sin. Its done. I suggest If you need insight, seek spiritual direction so you can have more time to discuss the issues surrounding the sin and why you did it. Come up with an action plan and alternatives to the sin so you will not do it again. What could you have done differently? for ex. Maybe keep a journal and write about it and share with someone you trust if you chose to. But the sin itself is absolved. Gone, washed clean. It’s over and forgotten assuming your confession was genuine and honest.
 
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