Question on perfect contrition

[maggiec]

If we feel that we make our confession out of love for God and not out of fear of hell, how do we know if its real or we’re just being fooled.
maggiec

 

[Annunciata]

when in your heart you are really saddened for the sin (s) you have committed against God and are truly sorry for what you have done.

 

[EENS]

To have true contrition whatsoever we must above all have a firm purpose of amendment, meaning we have all desire to never commit sin again (at least mortal sin). We must desire completely never to commit any mortal sin ever again. If we do not have this (whether we have fear of Hell or pain for offending God), we are not forgiven. However, to have a true pain for offending God, as I wrote on the previous thread, is a rare case indeed. As I also said before, it has been likened to the rareness of a plenary indulgence. St. Alphonus Ligouri had a vision one Sunday while preaching at Mass on plenary indulgences that if everyone fulfilled the obligation for a plenary indulgence (except that of freedom from desire of all sin, including venial) that was present at the Mass, that even then, among tens of thousands, only he and one washing woman would actually earn such an indulgence. That is why we cannot have any good hope that a person who dies without the Sacrament of Penance in a state of mortal sin will be saved (we should have almost as little hope as if they were not Catholic). Of course, we can have more hope, for outside the Church one cannot be saved. In any event, we must always attempt the best we can to excite compunction for our sins, and we should avail ourselves to the Sacrament of Penance often. God bless.

 

[asquared]

We know our sins are forgiven when we confess to a priest, make a good act of contrition, receive absolution, and carry out the penance or restitution suggested by the priest. We know because we have the assurance of Christ’s promise to the apostles, whose successors are our bishops who ordain priests to carry out this ministry. Perfect contrition is admirable and to be desired but not mandatory or even possible for many of us. Contrition is more than a feeling of sorrow or regret for our sins, it is an act of the intellect, and reciting the words of the prayer with the intent to express contrition is enough.