Why can't we ask for forgiveness?

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BrooklynBoy200

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"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.​

-Somewhere from Matthew

Why can’t we ask for forgiveness of Mortal Sins?
 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.​

-Somewhere from Matthew

Why can’t we ask for forgiveness of Mortal Sins?
Why can’t I just take some water, pour it over my own head in private and ask Jesus to baptise me?

Why can’t I take my fiance by the hand and we both ask God to marry us with no witnesses or anything?

And the clincher - why can’t I take bread and wine and ask Jesus to turn it into His body and blood and assumt that that will make it so???

Of course if you ask for forgiveness it will be given. But God sets out the conditions under which we normally receive it, namely via sacramental absolution from a priest.

Just like if you want a baby and ask God for one you will most likely have one - but not just for the asking! You will also normally need a) a partner and b) to wait at least 9 months!
 
Of course if you ask for forgiveness it will be given. But God sets out the conditions under which we normally receive it, namely via sacramental absolution from a priest.
Thankyou LilyM. I’m sorry i keep starting the “why confession” threads, but i’m a minor being raised by non-catholic parents, and it is very hard for me to go.
 
Thankyou LilyM. I’m sorry i keep starting the “why confession” threads, but i’m a minor being raised by non-catholic parents, and it is very hard for me to go.
Hey, I’ve been a minor too. Even with Catholic parents I didn’t always get to go to Confession when I wanted :nope:

God understands your situation better than you think. Just be thankful your parents aren’t going to notice if you don’t fo for communion or something - mine always did, and would quiz me about why sometimes :bigyikes:

Just make a sincere Act of Perfect Contrition when you sin, and don’t receive Communion until you next confess, and you’ll be ok.
 
It’s a good thing for you to learn more about Catholic faith. One important thing is that you should use the Catholic Bible - there are certain things in other Bible that are not correctly translated, and it can make you misunderstand things.

In 2 Corithians 5:17-20 - God has given the apostles and us the ministry of reconcillation: “…entrusting to us the message of reconcilation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”
 
Hey, I’ve been a minor too. Even with Catholic parents I didn’t always get to go to Confession when I wanted :nope:

God understands your situation better than you think. Just be thankful your parents aren’t going to notice if you don’t fo for communion or something - mine always did, and would quiz me about why sometimes :bigyikes:

Just make a sincere Act of Perfect Contrition when you sin, and don’t receive Communion until you next confess, and you’ll be ok.
I had my first confession recently, and then i committed a mortal sin almost immediatly afterwords ( i’m a complete idiot…) so i was too afraid to go to church the next day because i thought he would notice me not receiving Communion and that would suck.

P.S.
Can i ask a completely unrelated question? Thankyou.
When i went to confession the first time, the priest ( who was really nice) told me that you are forgiven of your sins before you complete your penance, and that the penance is just to thank God for forgiving you. Is this true? Does that mean that if you don’t carry out your penance for whatever reason that you are still forgiven?
 
It’s a good thing for you to learn more about Catholic faith. One important thing is that you should use the Catholic Bible - there are certain things in other Bible that are not correctly translated, and it can make you misunderstand things.
I know what i am about to say will sound really stupid, so brace yourself:

All my catholic bibles are paperback, but i have some protestant bibles that are bound in nice, black leather, with gold writing on the cover and everything. It just makes me feel better to read it from a nice fancy edition. I don’t know why. I would buy a nice Catholic one, but i’m a minor with no job, and my parents roll their eyes and tell me i’m weird whenever i ask them for something religious…
I asked them for a St.Anthony Patron Saint medal the other day…you should have seen their reactions. They think i’m a freak. Not to complain or anything. And just while i’m on the topic of how anti-religion my parents are, before i went to confession my mom sat me down and had a chat with me about guarding myself from child molestation!!! It’s ridiculous…But i’m going off topic here. Thankyou for the answers both of you.
 
I had my first confession recently, and then i committed a mortal sin almost immediatly afterwords ( i’m a complete idiot…) so i was too afraid to go to church the next day because i thought he would notice me not receiving Communion and that would suck.

P.S.
Can i ask a completely unrelated question? Thankyou.
When i went to confession the first time, the priest ( who was really nice) told me that you are forgiven of your sins before you complete your penance, and that the penance is just to thank God for forgiving you. Is this true? Does that mean that if you don’t carry out your penance for whatever reason that you are still forgiven?
Trust me, he wouldn’t notice. If he did, he wouldn’t think anything of it - after all, maybe you ate just before mass and couldn’t go for that reason or something.

As for your question - it’s true enough that you are indeed forgiven upon absolution. You can possibly (though very unlikely) have confession and be absolved but not be assigned any penance at all.

But the penance is a bit more than just a ‘thankyou’ - it’s kinda sorta repairing the damage and offence our sins have caused as well. And to wilfully not do a penance you are given in confession is in itself a grave sin.
 
I know what i am about to say will sound really stupid, so brace yourself:

All my catholic bibles are paperback, but i have some protestant bibles that are bound in nice, black leather, with gold writing on the cover and everything. It just makes me feel better to read it from a nice fancy edition. I don’t know why. I would buy a nice Catholic one, but i’m a minor with no job, and my parents roll their eyes and tell me i’m weird whenever i ask them for something religious…
I asked them for a St.Anthony Patron Saint medal the other day…you should have seen their reactions. They think i’m a freak. Not to complain or anything. And just while i’m on the topic of how anti-religion my parents are, **before i went to confession my mom sat me down and had a chat with me about guarding myself from child molestation!!! **It’s ridiculous…But i’m going off topic here. Thankyou for the answers both of you.
That’s funny… but it sounds like she loves you? Just wanting to keep you safe, that’s all. You sound like a good kid. Don’t worry so much - do your best & leave the rest up to God. It’s hard when you’re a kid… but soon enough you’ll be an adult & out on your own. In the meantime, keep praying for your parents… You never know… they may end up Catholic also? 🙂
 
That’s funny… but it sounds like she loves you? Just wanting to keep you safe, that’s all. You sound like a good kid. Don’t worry so much - do your best & leave the rest up to God. It’s hard when you’re a kid… but soon enough you’ll be an adult & out on your own. In the meantime, keep praying for your parents… You never know… they may end up Catholic also? 🙂
Yeah, it just annoys me that when you say the word “priest” everyone immediatlely starts saying they are all molesters and all. Plus, i’m scared i’m going to die before i’m out on my own and that would suck to go to Hell when i’m trying so hard to get all this down.
 
Yeah, it just annoys me that when you say the word “priest” everyone immediatlely starts saying they are all molesters and all. Plus, i’m scared i’m going to die before i’m out on my own and that would suck to go to Hell when i’m trying so hard to get all this down.
BrooklynBoy,
People who go to hell choose that for themselves. God wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven… that’s why He sent His Son, Jesus. He doesn’t want you to spend your life in fear of hell - that’s not Him - that’s the Devil trying to steal your joy. Don’t let him!

The battle has been fought - the VICTORY has been won! YOU are a child of the King! That is cause for celebration - not constant fear!

Try your best ~ ask God for help in the areas where you are weak & ask for forgiveness when you fail, as we all do. And then REST in the knowledge that He loves you so very very much.
 
I just don’t get how God can send you to hell for a mortal sin even if you acknowledge it and ask forgiveness ( without confession). Even if it is not a Perfect Act of Contrition. I know priests can absolve you of sins, but i don’t like how it’s considered necessary if you committed a sin that is worse than most. I know i’m just bringing up an old argument though.
 
I just don’t get how God can send you to hell for a mortal sin even if you acknowledge it and ask forgiveness ( without confession). Even if it is not a Perfect Act of Contrition. I know priests can absolve you of sins, but i don’t like how it’s considered necessary if you committed a sin that is worse than most. I know i’m just bringing up an old argument though.
You know our God is a God of love; he sees our frailties and wishes to help us on the way. He does not condemn it is our sins that condemn us. Yu know every day when I make a mistake I apologies to Jesus for doing what I have done then I ask Jesus to bless the person I say things to, mainly when I am driving. I have a tendency to complain about other drivers when they make a mistake or do something stupid (in my eyes).

These do not seem to be more than trivial but they are just the same as other sins. Why? Because they transgress against God’s love. Jesus said don’t rest with unless you have asked for forgiveness or even forgiven others who transgress against you.
I find it very hard to go to confession for that very reason, I ask god to forgive me when I transgress I don’t wait to go to confession.
You may remember that Jesus told the people that we must forgive 70 times 7.
He also says don’t rest with unresolved issues
Then again He says why do you come to ask me for forgiveness when you cannot go to your brother who you have hurt and ask for forgiveness.
So the idea is that at all times we are expected to seek forgiveness from those whom right away and we will be forgiven.
 
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