What's a pre-Catholic to do about newly-committed mortal sins?!?

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What’s a pre-Catholic to do about newly-committed mortal sins?!?

Hello, all. I am wondering about what options, if any, are available to me and my sister right now. We are both devoted to the teachings of the Church and are going to enter the RCIA program at our local parish come August. However, what do we do in the meantime? We still stumble each in our own way from time to time and commit a mortal sin… Are we just out of luck 'til our baptism? (We are both unbaptized).

I appreciate any advice. It’s very discouraging to still fall into sin when one has come to a knowledge of the truth… It makes me feel unworthy to even sit at my desk and read my scriptures…
 
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joe_cuban:
What’s a pre-Catholic to do about newly-committed mortal sins?!?

Hello, all. I am wondering about what options, if any, are available to me and my sister right now. We are both devoted to the teachings of the Church and are going to enter the RCIA program at our local parish come August. However, what do we do in the meantime? We still stumble each in our own way from time to time and commit a mortal sin… Are we just out of luck 'til our baptism? (We are both unbaptized).

I appreciate any advice. It’s very discouraging to still fall into sin when one has come to a knowledge of the truth… It makes me feel unworthy to even sit at my desk and read my scriptures…
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We all sin, so there is no reason for you to feel unworthy. You are just as worthy as anyone else to read it.

Second, if you have true contrition, then you will be forgiven for your sins. If you are repentant of your sins, and intend to never sin again, then you are forgiven. You can not recieve the sacrament, but you can still confess. If you feel like confessing your sins, you can go to confession with a preist. Just tell the preist you are not yet baptized, but want ot confess your sins.
 
If you feel like confessing your sins, you can go to confession with a preist. Just tell the preist you are not yet baptized, but want ot confess your sins.
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This is the path I would take if you are truly troubled. When you enter, just tell the priest when you walk in that you are troubled by sins you’ve committed and that you are not yet baptized, but would still like to confess and discuss them. If you are unsure what to do, tell him and ask him to guide you through the process.
 
That’s so exciting to read that you and your sister are coming into the Church! Praise God!

Have trust in our Lord’s infinite mercy…He knows the true desires of your heart. As jimmy stated, we all sin…and we are all unworthy. But through Our Lord Jesus Christ and the beautiful sacraments He gave us, we are able to grow in holiness.

I would even suggest picking up an examination of conscience. An excellent and extremely thorough one is written by Fr. Robert Altier. I’m not sure if you can order it on-line but I would be willing to mail you one if you would want. Hopefully I’ll type this link correctly and you can look at an on-line version:
catholicparents.org/oxcart/examination.html

Begin now to get in the practice of examining your conscience. Usually with any examination of conscience there are suggested to prayers to say as well…prayers to the Holy Spirit to help you recall your sins, prayers to Our Lord for forgiveness, etc.

And again, as jimmy stated, contact a priest. Our Lord is so merciful He will bless you and honor your intentions if they are true.

Oh, and one last thing to remember…you need not only be in mortal sin to confess. Venial sins can hamper our growth to holiness and are good to examine and confess as well as you will be given more grace to overcome them.

May God bless you.
 
CCC 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.
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backhome:
That’s so exciting to read that you and your sister are coming into the Church! Praise God!

Have trust in our Lord’s infinite mercy…He knows the true desires of your heart. As jimmy stated, we all sin…and we are all unworthy. But through Our Lord Jesus Christ and the beautiful sacraments He gave us, we are able to grow in holiness.

I would even suggest picking up an examination of conscience. An excellent and extremely thorough one is written by Fr. Robert Altier. I’m not sure if you can order it on-line but I would be willing to mail you one if you would want. Hopefully I’ll type this link correctly and you can look at an on-line version:
catholicparents.org/oxcart/examination.html

Begin now to get in the practice of examining your conscience. Usually with any examination of conscience there are suggested to prayers to say as well…prayers to the Holy Spirit to help you recall your sins, prayers to Our Lord for forgiveness, etc.

And again, as jimmy stated, contact a priest. Our Lord is so merciful He will bless you and honor your intentions if they are true.

Oh, and one last thing to remember…you need not only be in mortal sin to confess. Venial sins can hamper our growth to holiness and are good to examine and confess as well as you will be given more grace to overcome them.

May God bless you.
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Thank you so much! I was able to read the online version. I printed it out and have been reading and rereading it. I also shared it with my sister. Thanks again!
 
Offically you can not receive the sacrament of Penance but you can say within your heart that you are truly sorry for your offense, and you intend to confess the sin at your first confession.

Such is what many do when they commit a serious sin, and know it may be a few days or more before they can get to confession.
 
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joe_cuban:
What’s a pre-Catholic to do about newly-committed mortal sins?!?

Hello, all. I am wondering about what options, if any, are available to me and my sister right now. We are both devoted to the teachings of the Church and are going to enter the RCIA program at our local parish come August. However, what do we do in the meantime? We still stumble each in our own way from time to time and commit a mortal sin… Are we just out of luck 'til our baptism? (We are both unbaptized).

I appreciate any advice. It’s very discouraging to still fall into sin when one has come to a knowledge of the truth… It makes me feel unworthy to even sit at my desk and read my scriptures…
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…go to confession POSThaste:D
 
Since I have not been baptized, it is my understanding that I will not confess prior to my baptism. If so, how does this affect the prospect of achieving a perfect act of contrition?
 
Here’s what the priest at my parish had to say, in an e-mail, regarding this question:

*As you are not baptized, you are not able to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. However, the church has always taught her children to make as perfect an action of contrition as possible if one falls into serious sin and is not able to celebrate reconciliation. In addition to that option, Matthew 6 talks of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (works of charity) as means of removal of sins. We generally teach that these 3 methods are for lesser sins, but in your case, I would suggest that you might try using them. Also, in the sacrament of reconciliation, the penance is intended to help the spiritual growth of the penitent as well as possibly making restitution for any damage caused by one’s sinful actions. In your case, if some of the sins which weigh heavily on your heart have the option of making restitution to the person harmed by your sin, you might follow that course of action. See this latter means not as earning God’s forgiveness, but as cooperating with God’s grace.

Regarding that grace, we believe in prevenient grace… God’s grace which “goes ahead of us” and prepares us to more fully receive his forgiveness, etc. For instance, it was prevenient grace which opened St. Augustine’s heart to respond to God’s love and to become a Christian. It is God’s prevenient grace which is working inside of you and guiding you to becoming a Catholic in the near future. *
 
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