Replies

There is much ignorance amongst the laity, concerning sin. To cite an example, I am gradually introducing this topic with my students, in our study of Church history, in preparation for Advent. One of the students said he had committed a sin too bad to bring to confession. That was my cue to recognizing just how poorly catechized some young people are, which is also a reflection on their family.

For many years, I too avoided confession thinking I could simply speak my sins to our Lord in private. How wrong I was! The priest is like a curtain between us and Jesus. We confess to God through the priest. There are no words more beautiful than those we hear at the end of Confession:

"I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen"

**Go to Confession. You must go. It is the only antidote of Mortal Sin, and thus the antidote of death.**

Go to Confession! Go to Confession! Be forgiven!

Don’t receive the Holy Eucharist unworthily!

My problem is that Confession can be so hard to get to. Our little parish offers the opportunity to confess only on Saturday afternoons beginning at 6:15 p.m. Anyone with a baby (as we have) knows how busy a Saturday afternoon can be! Of course, I make time to go when I can, but often there simply is no time; going to Confession would mean failing to do my duty toward my wife or child, and surely God would not want that. Too, we are often out of town on business over the weekend (please mark that: business, not vacation) and are unable to confess. What's a poor sinner to do?

Going to Hell is my greatest fear. I'm terrified that one of these days I'm going to unexpectedly find myself on the last page of my all-too-sinful life and die with unconfessed mortal sin upon my conscience. But what can I do? I would love to dash to Confession on the same day I sin, but the world is simply not arranged that way. If only we could confess by e-mail, or by means of a Web-based Java app...

Thanks NYer. I went to confession last Saturday and it is amzing how that sacrament cleanses one’s soul and really helps with the temptation to commit the same sins again - it is truly stengthening to have a clean soul.

As far as the article: “at least 8 years of Catechism” and they still all feel holy enough to receive cofession without communion, it is because from the 1970’s on the catechesis didn’t address and completely purposefully ignored the true doctrine that it is a mortal sin to receive communion unworthily. They just don’t teach that anymore - at least not in the liberal northeastern dioceses where I was badly catchized in the 1970’s and then through the 40 years sicne as I have been raising ny daughters, they don’t. It was my own personal study and research that caused me to “stumble” on this incredibly important teaching!

It is right in the bible and vrey easy to understand:

1 Corinthians Chapter 11 verses 27 / 29
Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.

These verses also clearly refer to the catholic (true) interpretation of the bible vs. the protestant - that the commemoration commanded in the Lord’s Supper includes the literal body of Christ, not a symbol.

The Pastor at our parish is a modernist. He took the occasion of Pope Benedict’s resignation to trash him and exult in the bad stuff he figured Francis would usher in.

(Many complaints deleted.)

He is hostile to me, and I resent him.

I know, I know: St. Francis said, “These hands have touched my Lord,” et cetera.

No one needs to be told that I am not a saint. It’s obvious. And I have trouble wilth receiving the sacrament from this priest.

What should I do?

Is it really all right to receive the eucharist if you are not aware of mortal sins, or is that just another VatII weasel notion?