Sacraments

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PeteZaHut

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If a sacrament, such as Confirmation, is received in the state of mortal sin, would the person have to receive it again?
 
I don’t think so. I had no idea what Confession was until after I received Confirmation, so I believed I received it in mortal sin.
 
PeteZaHut said:
If a sacrament, such as Confirmation, is received in the state of mortal sin, would the person have to receive it again?
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I’m not sure. Normally, before you’re confirmed, you need to go to Reconciliation first, if you have already been baptized. I’m leaning towards it still being valid, but I’ll leave it to those more knowledgeable than I to give you a more definitive answer.
 
SomeCatholicGuy said:
I’m not sure. Normally, before you’re confirmed, you need to go to Reconciliation first, if you have already been baptized. I’m leaning towards it still being valid, but I’ll leave it to those more knowledgeable than I to give you a more definitive answer.
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It’s valid but the Grace imparted wouldn’t be received until you confess and are freed from mortal sin.
 
PeteZaHut said:
If a sacrament, such as Confirmation, is received in the state of mortal sin, would the person have to receive it again?
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No, the grace is conferred because the power flows from God’s power, not man’s:CCC#1128 This is the meaning of the Church’s affirmation that the sacraments act ex opere operato (literally: “by the very fact of the action’s being performed”), i.e., by virtue of the saving work of Christ, accomplished once for all. It follows that “the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God.” From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it, independently of the personal holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them.So the grace will be conferred, and such “1-time” sacraments as baptism or confirmation would not need repeating because the fruits of the sacrament will still flow as soon as the recipient effects them if he was previously in mortal sin when he received it.
 
It’s like receiving a gift and leaving it unopened and unused. It does you no good until you go to Confession, at which time the graces are automatically “unwrapped” and become available to you.
 
PeteZaHut said:
If a sacrament, such as Confirmation, is received in the state of mortal sin, would the person have to receive it again?
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No, Confirmation can never be repeated. If the Bishop (or priest in some cases) was validly Ordained, The proper words were spoken and the laying on of hands happened, you received the Sacrament. If in a state of Mortal sin, you received no Sacramental Grace, and knowingly doing this committed another Mortal sin.
 
MarcoPolo said:
No, the grace is conferred because the power flows from God’s power, not man’s:CCC#1128 This is the meaning of the Church’s affirmation that the sacraments act ex opere operato (literally: “by the very fact of the action’s being performed”), i.e., by virtue of the saving work of Christ, accomplished once for all. It follows that “the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God.” From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it, independently of the personal holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them.So the grace will be conferred, and such “1-time” sacraments as baptism or confirmation would not need repeating because the fruits of the sacrament will still flow as soon as the recipient effects them if he was previously in mortal sin when he received it.
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Your misreading the Catechism passage. The Sacrament is confered, but the Grace is withheld because it depends on the disposition of the recipient.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Are you sure about that. I read it the way I stated when reading all paragraphs 1127-1131.
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Yes, I’m sure.

The Sacrament is validly received if the proper Form, Matter and Intent (of the minister) is present, however the fruit (Sacramental Grace) can be blocked, by the disposition of the person receiving the Sacrament.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Are you sure about that. I read it the way I stated when reading all paragraphs 1127-1131.
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Marco,

Your post #5 was correct in its parts, but you seem to have been confusing the state of the minister of the Sacrament, while the original post was referring to the state of the recipient of the Sacrament.

The state of the minister does not affect the Grace imparted in the Sacrament.

The state of the recipient certainly affects the receipt of the Grace.
 
So, Brother and Father, would it be proper to say that a person in improper disposition would not receive sacramental grace at the time the sacrament was administered, but would receive sacramental grace once he corrected his disposition and the grace is then received apart from the event of the sacrament.
 
MarcoPolo said:
So, Brother and Father, would it be proper to say that a person in improper disposition would not receive sacramental grace at the time the sacrament was administered, but would receive sacramental grace once he corrected his disposition and the grace is then received apart from the event of the sacrament.
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You got it.
 
MarcoPolo said:
So, Brother and Father, would it be proper to say that a person in improper disposition would not receive sacramental grace at the time the sacrament was administered, but would receive sacramental grace once he corrected his disposition and the grace is then received apart from the event of the sacrament.
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It is generally thought that the Grace “revives” when the person is restored to a state of Grace at least for the Sacraments of Confirmation and Marriage.
 
MarcoPolo said:
So the grace will be conferred, and such “1-time” sacraments as baptism or confirmation would not need repeating because the fruits of the sacrament will still flow as soon as the recipient effects them if he was previously in mortal sin when he received it.
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The grace of baptism confers no matter what because it washes away all sin (original, venial and mortal).

One of the priests on EWTN (I can’t remember whether it was Fr. Corapi or Fr. Benedict or Fr. Pablo Straub) tells a story of being called to the death bed of an imprisoned Mafia don. The don asks the priest to baptize him because he has never been baptized. The priest does so. The priest then tells him that all his sins have been washed away in the waters of baptism. The don then responds “Everything.” The priest says “everything.” The don is astounded because he has done so much wrong in his life.

You have to be a baptized Christian before you can partake of Penance & Reconciliation.
 
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