Sacrament of Confession

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Sacrament of Confession

Jesus the Good Shepherd

We are like the lost sheep, and when we go to confession, Jesus picks us up and holds us to His chest embracing us in love. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep. I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. (Lk. 15:4-7

The Parable of the Lost Son (Lk 15:11-32) & The Merciful Father

Sacrament of Confession

Then Jesus said, A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me. So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, How many of my fathers hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers. So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son. But his father ordered his servants, Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf. 31He said to him, My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found. God the Father runs to embrace us and forgive us, all we have to do is want to come back to Him in Confession to receive His loving and tender mercy.

Sacrament of Confession
Jesus Forgives Woman Who Committed Adultery
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.* So what do you say? They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? She replied, No one, sir. Then Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more. (Jn 8:4-11)

Sacrament of Confession Jesus Institutes the Sacrament of Confession

Mission to Forgive and He Sends (John 20:19-23) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

(Christ clearly gave His apostles the power to forgive sins and to retain them. How could they retain them, if they had not heard them? The power He gave to them was intended to be passed on-- because there is sin in every age.)

Sacrament of Confession

Ambassadors of Reconciliation So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corin. 5:17-20) -St. Paul explains how the Apostles are ambassadors of Christs work of reconciliation. What does this mean but that they share in the ministry of Christ and forgive sins in His name. -Priest serves as a representative of God and of His Mercy. -The authority to be able to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Confession is exclusive to validly ordained priests.

Sacrament of Confession Sins Forgiven During Anointing of Sick Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. (James 5:13-16) (St. James indicates that sins are forgiven in the sacrament of anointing of the sick. He specifies that priests (presbyters) must be called. Ordinary Christians were not anointing and forgiving sins.the presbyters (priests) were however.)

Sacrament of Confession

Confession- Tradition
Hippolytus "[The bishop conducting the ordination of the new bishop shall pray:] God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Pour forth now that power which comes from you, from your royal Spirit, which you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and which he bestowed upon his holy apostles . . . and grant this your servant, whom you have chosen for the episcopate, [the power] to feed your holy flock and to serve without blame as your high priest, ministering night and day to propitiate unceasingly before your face and to offer to you the gifts of your holy Church, and by the Spirit of the high priesthood to have the authority to forgive sins, in accord with your command" (Apostolic Tradition 3 [A.D. 215]). Origen "[A final method of forgiveness], albeit hard and laborious [is] the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner . . . does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine, after the manner of him who say, I said, "To the Lord I will accuse myself of my iniquity"" [A.D. 248]). Cyprian of Carthage "Of how much greater faith and salutary fear are they who . . . confess their sins to the priests of God in a straightforward manner and in sorrow, making an open declaration of conscience. . . . I beseech you, brethren, let everyone who has sinned confess his sin while he is still in this world, while his confession is still admissible, while the satisfaction and remission made through the priests are still pleasing before the Lord" [251 AD] Basil the Great "It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of Gods mysteries is entrusted. Those doing penance of old are found to have done it before the saints. It is written in the Gospel that they confessed their sins to John the Baptist [Matt. 3:6], but in Acts [19:18] they confessed to the apostles" (Rules Briefly Treated 288 [A.D. 374]).

Sacrament of Confession Why Confess Sins to a Priest?

--Jesus Himself Commanded It from the beginning. --Absolutely Certain Sins are Forgiven because the priest says so. At home by oneself-how do we know? --God alone? To Godthrough the priest. Jesus in the priest forgives. --Straight to God? Isnt God also everywhere...including in a priest? --Sacrament Grace of Forgiveness- Real washing away of sinWe come in contact with Jesus. --Sacramental Grace Extra Graces to Overcome Sin Next Time. --Good Psychologically- Its mentally healthy to confess our sins to another person. --Avoids Hiding of Sins- One confronts their own sins and is not so apt to hide them to themselves. When we get the sins out in the open, the sin and the devil loses its hold and we gain power over the sin. --Humility- Helps us to grow in humility, by admitting what we have done. We avoid pride, which is the root of many sins. --We are More Sorry- Its easy to say we are sorry when we are not in the presence of the person, whom we are apologizing, but it touches our heart even more when we tell the person (God) that we are sorry, directly to the person we offended. --Advice- We receive advice from the priest on how to overcome our sins. --Receive a Just Penance- The priest gives us a penance to make up to a certain degree for our sins. --Peace- Greater Peace, makes us feel good when we have done so. --Cant do other Sacraments our Self- If we think we can confess our sins and receive forgiveness by our self, then why dont each of us offer the Mass, or baptize ourselves, or anoint our selves, or why would we need a priest to marrywe could just do it our self, or Confirm our self. There is no sacramental grace by our self.

Sacrament of Confession
Confession Restores One Back the Mystical Body of Christ A leper came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, If you wish, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, I do will it. Be made clean. The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them. (Mk 1:41-44) Some Sins Are Private, However, All Sin Affects the Mystical Body of Christ. Therefore, One Needs to Be Restored to Body of Christ, When One has Separated Oneself from the Mystical Body of Christ When lepers were cut off from the community, due to their leprosy, the priest was the one would permit re-entry if the person no longer had leprosy. The leper-would have to go and show the priesthis wounds. Leprosy is symbolic of sin. Sin wounds mystical body of Christ. We go to a priest, the official representative of the Church---the mystical body of Christ. When we cut our self off of the mystical body of Christ, the priest has authority to bring us back.

Sacrament of Confession

Effects of Confession
Reunites the Sinner to God- mortal sin destroys our friendship with God, confession restores it. We are embraced by the Father as in the prodigal son. Reconciles us with our Brothers and Sisters- Restored to the mystical body of Christ, if we have separated our self from the body of Christ, through serious sin. Sacramental Grace in Abundance- Helps us to grow in virtue, to strive even harder to overcome our temptations and especially gives us graces to avoid the sins and temptations in the future. Remits Punishment Due to sin by doing Penance-

Forgives- The sin and the guilt are no more! All are washed away in the ocean of Gods mercy.
Merits Restored- We lose our merits, when we commit a mortal sin, Confession gives them back. Helps us to have a true Conversion- to live a new life, by turning away from sin.

Turning Away From and a Rebuking of the Devil- Sort of like an exorcism.
Soul is Healed- The wounds inflicted on our soul from sin are healed. Gives New Courage- Strengthens us in our commitment to do better.

Sacrament of Confession

Punishment Due to Sin and Penance

God punishes all sin- Adam and Eve, David, etc.. Question: Why does God require a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for sin? Answer: God requires a temporal punishment as a satisfaction for sin, to teach us the great evil of sin and to prevent us from falling again. Question: Does not the Sacrament of Penance remit all punishment due to sin? Answer: The Sacrament of Penance remits the eternal punishment due to sin, but it does not always remit the temporal punishment which God requires as satisfaction for our sins. Receiving Penance in Confession The priest gives us a penance after Confession, that we may satisfy God for the temporal punishment due to our sins. Die in the State of Mortal Sin If someone dies in the state of mortal sin, the punishment for the sin is eternal (forever).

What is an Indulgence? An Indulgence is the remission in whole or in part of the temporal punishment due to sin. Is an Indulgence a pardon of sin, or a license to commit sin? An Indulgence is not a pardon of sin, nor a license to commit sin, and one who is in a state of mortal sin cannot gain an Indulgence. How many kinds of Indulgences are there? There are two kinds of IndulgencesPlenary and Partial. Examples: Stations of the Cross, Reading Bible for 30 min., etc.. What is a Plenary Indulgence? A Plenary Indulgence is the full remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. What is a Partial Indulgence? A Partial Indulgence is the remission of a part of the temporal punishment due to sin. How does the Church remit the temporal punishment due to sin? The Church by means of Indulgences remits the temporal punishment due to sin by applying to us the merits of Jesus Christ, and the superabundant satisfactions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the saints; which merits and satisfactions are its spiritual treasury. What must we do to gain an Indulgence? To gain an Indulgence we must be in the state of grace and perform the works enjoined. Go to confession 8 days before or after. Receive Holy Communion. Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be for the Pope. We are to be detached from all sin, including venial sin. And one must have the intention of obtaining the indulgence. Number of Days for an Indulgence? It used to be that days were assigned for an indulgence (ex: 200 days). This meant that the prayer prayed was the same as though 200 days of penance were offered. Not 200 days off of purgatory time, as some falsely believed. The Church no longer assigns days, rather there are only partial and plenary indulgences. Indulgence for Souls in Purgatory- We can obtain only one plenary indulgence per day for us or a soul in purgatory. Martin Luther and Abuses- It is true there were Indulgence abuses in the Church in the 1500s. It used to be that an indulgence could be obtained for giving alms, such as to donate money to build a church. This in itself was good, but there became a misunderstanding, that led some to believe one could buy ones way to heaven. This was never a teaching of the Church and was in fact an abuse the Church would later correct.

Sacrament of Confession

Four Elements of a Valid Confession

Sacrament of Confession

1--Contrition- Truly Sorry, we have offended God and hurt others and Desire to never Commit the Sin again. (Look at a Crucifix to help us to see the effects of our sins. We are more contrite.)
2--Confess Sins- Confess all Mortal- Number of them, and as many venial sins as possible. 3--Penance- Satisfaction for Sins Committed Willingness to do penance. Do it right away. 4--Absolution- Actual Forgiveness of Sins. Priest will say: God the Father of mercies, through the
death and resurrection of His son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

More on Penance By the merits of Christ, we make Satisfaction for our sins. Every sin is an infinite offense against God, but God in His mercy, gives us the grace to repair the damage done. Indulgences are a source of remitting punishment due to our sins. We receive a penance, that can be a work, a deed, almsgiving, fasting, but most commonly it is prayers, such as Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. In Early Church there was Public Penance, which often times took years. Incensing the emperor, adultery, murder were public sins and so at that time, public penance was necessary to show that the person had changed their life. But there was never Public Confession.
More on Contrition Imperfect Contrition- we are sorry because we hate the sin, and also fear Gods punishment. Perfect Contrition- we are sorry because we love God and dont want to hurt Him.

Sacrament of Confession Steps to a Good Confession

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Pray to the Holy Spirit and Examine Your Conscience Be Truly Sorry Have a Firm Purpose of Amendment (amend my ways) Confess Sins to a Priest Listen to His Advice and Ask Questions if You Want Accept Your Penance and Do It

Other Confession Part 1 Invalid Confession- Willfully withhold mortal sins or Absolutely Not Sorry for Sin committed. Future
Confessions are invalid until the sin is mentioned as well as the mentioning that it was a bad confession. All mortal sins are to be mentioned from the moment the first mortal sin was withheld. What to do if you cant do the Penance? Tell the priest right away, and that you would like a different Penance. General Absolution- Never- except in an emergency: plane going to crash, such as war- soldiers cant go because not enough time before going to battle, or if a priest goes to a secluded region like Peru in the Mountains and visits there only once or twice a year due to the shortage of priests. Receiving Communion After Committing Mortal Sin- Perfect Act of Contrition Not recommended except for exceptional and grave circumstances. Careful!!!! Always go to confession before receiving the Eucharist if in mortal sin. It is best to humble oneself and not to receive Communion, until one goes to confession. Names of the Sacrament- Confession, Penance, Reconciliation Frequency of Confession- Go at least once a month, or as soon as possible if one commits a mortal sin. Many go monthly and quite a few go weekly. Go as often as you want. Pope John Paul II went everyday. Real Guilt vs. False Guilt- Real guilt is guilt due to our sins. But false guilt is guilt that we feel after our sins are forgiven. We should remind our self Jesus has forgiven us and we should trust in His Mercy. Emotions can play a role in causing us to not have peace even after we have confessed our sins properly. Oftentimes, a woman, who has had an abortion will still feel guilty even after she confessed. Daily Examination of Conscience- Important, otherwise, one may develop lack of sorrow for sin, and then believe they do not sin. Tell God right away, when you sin, that you are sorry. Make A Careful Examination of Conscience before Confession, praying to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment. State of Life- Whenever you go to confession, you should say your state of life: married, single, priest, etc.. My Sin is Too Bad, God Will Never Forgive Me- Bad way to think. We need to remember Gods mercy is greater than our sins. Behind this attitude is pride. We place our self above God.

Sacrament of Confession

Other Confession Part 2 Sacrament of Confession Seal of Confession- Priest can never break the seal, if he does so, he is automatically excommunicated. Never heard of it ever being broken. What will the priest think? Priest will think you are a humble person and will admire you for your courage. The priest has heard almost every kind of sin within the first year. Confessions inspire the priest. Priests are always compassionate, never harsh in confession. Priests love to hear confessions. Same Sins?- Welcome to the club: Ex: St. Jeromes temper. They help us to be humble & to strive harder to overcome them. What if we forget to Confess a Mortal Sin? Still forgiven, but confess it next time to receive a penance for it. Sin of Abortion- Excommunicated automatically. However, for this to occur, the
following must be true: Must be Catholic, at least 16 years of age, and have full use of reason; he must have committed an excommunicable action with the full knowledge that it was an offense punishable by this sanction; he must have acted freely (without coercion) and deliberately (not by chance or accident), and without grave fear; and must not have been acting in self-defense.

Eucharist Desecration Sin- only the pope can forgive the sin (there are other sins that only the pope can forgive). Immediately After Confession- Do Penance &Thank God for Forgiveness Behind the Screen or Face to Face- Priest can use only behind screen if he wants. With screen- easier to imagine it is Jesus on the other side hearing your confession. Face to face is permitted by many priests.

Other Confession Part 3

Sacrament of Confession

How to Go to Confession- See handout, many confessionals have a sign inside to help you. Dont ramble on about a story. Yet, one should explain the circumstances of mortal sins. What if Priest Accidentally Says Absolution Prayer Wrong- Sins Forgiven.. No. If an elderly priest forgets, gently remind the priest, he accidentally said it wrong. Absolutely required to say, I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Can fail to say the first part, God the Father of mercies, but he really should say the whole prayer. Penance Services- Lent and Easter. Some Priests ask the people to say the Act of Contrition Before Going to Confession. Not part of the Rite. You can still say it silently to yourself if asked to not say it. What if priests fails to ask you to make an Act of Contrition and then immediately gives you absolution. Maybe he forgot, or he is in a hurry. Either is not good. If this is the case, it is best that after the absolution, you go to your pew and then say it or say it anyway during confession. Memorize the Act of Contrition- If prayer isnt in confessional & you cant remember, just say, Lord have mercy on me a sinner. Or just tell the priest you are a new Catholic and dont know it yet. Different Kinds of Act of Contrition- Doesnt matter which you use, though some are better. What if someone who committed a mortal sin dies on the way to confession, car accident? God forgives. He knew the persons intention. Yet, we should never delay going to confession if we have committed a mortal sin. To die in the state of mortal sin, without repentance excludes us forever from heaven. Sin of Presumption- Im going to do this sin, because Im going to confession tomorrow. No. What if I forget to mention a mortal sin; am I Forgiven? Yes. But mention it next time in order to get a penance for that sin. Dont blame others for your sins. Ex: My wife did this or that and its her fault I got angry.

Sacrament of Confession Gods mercy is Infinite.

Story of Mother Angelica: Once she was walking near the sea and she was thinking about all her past sins. And a little drop of water landed on her hand. She said the Lord spoke to her and said. Angelica, you see that drop of water. Mother said, Yes. Jesus said, Fling it into the ocean. So Mother Angelica flicked it into the ocean. Jesus said, Now find it.. And Mother Angelica said, I cant. I can never find it. Jesus told her. That drop of water was your past sins. This helped her realize, she should forget her past sins and so should we after we confessed them. Story of St. Margaret Mary: One day, the priest confessor of St. Margaret Mary asked her to ask Jesus that the next time He appears to her, ask Him, What sin of mine (the priests) offended you the most? So the next time Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary she asked Jesus which sin of the priest offended Our Lord the most. And Jesus said, Tell your confessor, I cant remember. Obviously, Jesus as God would have known, but He wanted the priest to not think of his past sins anymore, nor should we.

Divine Mercy

Sacrament of Confession

Feast of Divine Mercy- Sunday after Easter. All sins and punishment due to sins are forgiven if one goes to confession, receives Holy Communion and participates in a Divine Mercy Service. Jesus told St. Faustina, I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy . . . The Feast of Mercy emerged from the very depths of My tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Chaplet of Divine Mercy- Pray everyday at Hour of Mercy 3pm For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, Have Mercy on Us and on the Whole World. Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Novena of Divine Mercy- 9 Days of Prayer before the Feast Image of Divine Mercy- Jesus said, Paint a picture according to the vision you see and with the signature, Jesus I trust in You. Later Jesus explained, The rays represent the Blood and Water which gushed forth from the depths of my Mercy when My agonizing heart was pierced on the cross. The pale rays symbolize the water which cleanses and purifies the soul: the red rays represent the blood, which gives new life to the soul.- Trust Jesus- Jesus I Trust in You! Jesus said, I desire the confidence of my people. Let not even the weak and very sinful fear to approach me, even if their sins be as numerous as all the sand of the earth all will be forgiven in the fathomless pit of my mercy. Deeds of Mercy- Be Merciful to Others: Prayer, Words, Deeds

1. Sign of the Cross. The priest OR the Penitent will say, In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 2. Priest says: "May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you to know your sins and trust in his mercy, 3. You say: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been ____ weeks/ months/years since my last confession. 4. You say: These are my sins (Mortal sinsmention number of times and circumstances) 5. You say: For these and all the sins of my life (especially for_______________). I am sorry.

How to Go to Confession

6. Then listen to the priest for whatever advice he may give you. After he gives you your penance, make an Act of Contrition.
7. Act of Contrition You say: O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I deserve the eternal pains of hell, but most of all because they offend you my God, who are all-good an deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more, to avoid the occasion of sin, and to amend my life. Amen. Or you may say, Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. 8. Priest absolves you of your sins: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Priest then says: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. 9. You say: For His mercy endures forever. 10. The Priest may either say: May the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints, whatever good you do an suffering you endure, heal your sins, help you to grow in holiness and reward you with eternal life, Go in peace. Or: The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace.

11. You say: Thank you, Father.