Repeated sins and absolution

[Jabronie]

In confession the other day, I confessed a repeated mortal sin and was told by the priest that he couldn’t offer absolution at this time. He was very kind about it and I don’t have a problem with him, but I’m a little confused about something.

He asked if I plan to quit committing the sin. I couldn’t honestly say “yes,” since due to our sinful nature we have an attachment to sin. I feel that when confessing ANY sin, we know that we will probably commit the same sin again, but the sacraments help give us the strength to overcome it. When confessing, I hope to not commit the same sins, and pray that God will give me strength to overcome any temptations, but I couldn’t say for sure that I would not commit the sin again.

So here’s my questions…

How is this different than any other time any of us go to confession?

Also, I know that I am unable to receive any sacraments until I first receive absolution. How can I do this? I can’t just lie and say that I won’t commit any of the same sins again.

Should I seriously just go to another priest that I know won’t ask any questions? I wouldn’t really feel right doing that either.

 

[Charlotte408]

Also, I know that I am unable to receive any sacraments until I first receive absolution. How can I do this? I can’t just lie and say that I won’t commit any of the same sins again.

Should I seriously just go to another priest that I know won’t ask any questions? I wouldn’t really feel right doing that either.

Well…I’m not a priest, or even a life long practicing catholic, so I cant tell you how to go about recieving that absolution, buuuuut…from my heart I can tell you what I think…I think that if you were to go to another priest, and even if he didnt ‘ask any questions’ and even if he did give you ‘absolution’…it’d still be a lie, because, you know in your heart where you stand with your sin…you, and GOD. And you can’t run and hide from Him. It seems like the priest might be holding you back from absolution like some sort of ‘tough love’…if you love our Lord enough, if you want absolution enough, if you want the eucharist-if you truly want to be in communion- he’s saying this is it- you’ve already recognized the sin, now give it up.

Just like if your spouse was cheating on you, how many times would you let them do it? What if you asked them to stop and they said, ‘oh well, I might so…’ You cant have that kind of relationship with our Lord…

 

[baltobetsy]

When the priest asked you if you planned to stop committing the sin, he wasn’t asking for a guarantee that you would never do it again. He was asking if you were going to make a sincere effort to stop. A person who is making a sincere effort may fall again, but he does not plan to fall.

If you can sincerely say that you are trying hard, doing concrete things, making a good effort to conquer this sin in your life, you should return to the same priest and talk about it. If he sees you really trying, he will probably absolve you.

Betsy

 

[Incomplete]

When the priest asked you if you planned to stop committing the sin, he wasn’t asking for a guarantee that you would never do it again. He was asking if you were going to make a sincere effort to stop. A person who is making a sincere effort may fall again, but he does not plan to fall.

If you can sincerely say that you are trying hard, doing concrete things, making a good effort to conquer this sin in your life, you should return to the same priest and talk about it. If he sees you really trying, he will probably absolve you.

Betsy

Exactly. It’s the sincere intention to quit that matters, and that intention is evidenced through your plans to avoid this sin.

 

[dplunkt]

First, if a priest offers absolution under any circumstances you are absolved because it is not really the priest doing it, it is Christ.

But, consider this, a good priest will sometimes not give you absolution immediately because you may need to meditate on this sin and what you might do in the future with God’s grace to overcome it. He may feel you are treating this sin too cavalierly because you deal with it too frequently or for a variety of other reasons.

You say you know that you will commit it again, but is your attitude now one of surrender? Or do you want to fight it. Tell the priest that you can’t say you’ll never commit the sin again but you intend to fight it and then tell him how, say with prayer, fasting, or what ever you think will help you commit it less often. I think your priest will then treat this differently.

By the way, I am not a priest, this is ONLY my opinion.

 

[Cristiano]

In confession the other day, I confessed a repeated mortal sin and was told by the priest that he couldn’t offer absolution at this time. He was very kind about it and I don’t have a problem with him, but I’m a little confused about something.

He asked if I plan to quit committing the sin. I couldn’t honestly say “yes,” since due to our sinful nature we have an attachment to sin. I feel that when confessing ANY sin, we know that we will probably commit the same sin again, but the sacraments help give us the strength to overcome it. When confessing, I hope to not commit the same sins, and pray that God will give me strength to overcome any temptations, but I couldn’t say for sure that I would not commit the sin again.

So here’s my questions…

How is this different than any other time any of us go to confession?

Also, I know that I am unable to receive any sacraments until I first receive absolution. How can I do this? I can’t just lie and say that I won’t commit any of the same sins again.

Should I seriously just go to another priest that I know won’t ask any questions? I wouldn’t really feel right doing that either.

Are you an engineer or a scientist?

When you go to confession you do not look at future sins from a probabilistic point of view! You just address them in term of contrition and honest intention for the future. Of course habitual sin could happen again but accepting it from a probabilistic point of view implies that we do not really trust in God’s graces even if we say we do. Probabilistic analysis and extrapolation implies that we assume that the basics conditions will not change and one of the most fundamental conditions is our intent. Are you planning to change that condition and not to repeat the sin? If the answer is yes then do not worry about the probability or repeating the sin, just trust in God. When you talk to a priest during confession you have to take your rational hat off and just deal with your heart and understanding of what you have done wrong.

Go back to your confessor and address the issue. I believe that habitual sins are a result of moral disorder (just my opinion). I found that receiving the anointing of the sick after frequent confession really allowed me to truly open my heart to the Holy Spirit and receive the graces that I needed. I noticed that temptations are still there but my habitual sinful reaction was suddenly gone.