Posted on 03/01/2015 12:52:48 PM PST by NYer
Thank you very much for sharing this feedback.
I wish my Methodist denomination had “confession” with our clergy.
Confession is a Sacrament. Just as God empowered his priests to be instruments of forgiveness in the Old Testament, the God/man Jesus Christ delegated uthority to his New Testament ministers to act as mediators of reconciliation as well. Jesus made this remarkably clear in John 20:21-23:
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Catholic priests trace their heritage back to Jesus Christ through the laying on of hands.
We are missing something important by not having it.
Agreed. It is not unusual for non-Catholics, including Jews, to go to Catholic confession. The priest may listen to their confessions but does not have the authority to absolve them of their sins.
My younger sister teaches at a Catholic school, is in the church choir, and receives communion every week. She told me last year that she hasn’t gone to confession in about 30 years.
NO one sins anymore ... they screw up, mis-speak, blow it, etc.
The illegal undocumented in our White House said that terrorists have high jacked a religion
The "religion" is islam ... which translates into "submission" which is the entire message of the Koran, and the Koran speaks to believers to submit and force others to submit, and if others don't submit, kill them
Bottom line;
terrorists are apologists for the "religion" and killers the practioners
It's all in the language
I sin daily, and after 1 John 1:9,
I walk away upright ... clean.
This is a Catholic Caucus thread intended to prevent nonsensical comments such as that.
Many of us have had a less than positive experience in the confessional and, like you, used it as an excuse to put off returning until ... whenever. Priests are human and can have a bad day, just like us. It took me many years to return. I summoned up the courage to do so and picked a night when the lines were long. Shaking, I began by stating it had been x years and the priest responded by saying he did not have the time to hear x years of sins and could I just list one. I was stunned but later recognized that I was wrong to pick that night and returned on another day.
I may have a change of heart before I check out.
Each day is a gift; that is why they call it the 'present'. You don't know when you will be checking out but you have the gift of today in which to reconcile with God, just in case. Perhaps you could begin your confession by relating the bad experience you had and ask the priest to guide you through your confession. In preparation, consider reflecting on what Pope Francis recently said:
The Oct. 10, 2014, homily, which is excerpted in the booklet, said the best way to guard one's heart is with the daily practice of an "examination of conscience," in which one quietly reviews what bad things one has done and what good things one has failed to do for God, one's neighbor and oneself.
The questions include:
-- Do I only turn to God when I'm in need?
-- Do I take attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation?
-- Do I begin and end the day with prayer?
-- Am I embarrassed to show that I am a Christian?
-- Do I rebel against God's plan?
-- Am I envious, hot-tempered, biased?
-- Am I honest and fair with everyone or do I fuel the "throwaway culture?"
-- In my marital and family relations, do I uphold morality as taught in the Gospels?
-- Do I honor and respect my parents?
-- Have I refused newly conceived life? Have I snuffed out the gift of life? Have I helped do so?
-- Do I respect the environment?
-- Am I part worldly and part believer?
-- Do I overdo it with eating, drinking, smoking and amusements?
-- Am I overly concerned about my physical well-being, my possessions?
-- How do I use my time? Am I lazy?
-- Do I want to be served?
-- Do I dream of revenge, hold grudges?
-- Am I meek, humble and a builder of peace?
Catholics should go to confession, the pope said, because everyone needs forgiveness for their sins, for the ways "we think and act contrary to the Gospel."
Read More.
It really is painless and I promise that you will emerge feeling a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Also you may not be aware that I live to Mount Angel Monastery and a Carmelite motherhouse too.
Also you may not be aware that I live close to Mount Angel Monastery and a Carmelite motherhouse too
Ping to my post #47.
My priest told me you don’t have to go to confession as long as you have a clear conscience. They don’t want to hear that you had a bad thought. Or you went over the double yellow line on the highway. So I have a clear conscience at the moment. If I do something bad I’ll scurry to confession.
Have we been so misguided by warped interpretations of Vatican II that we think that serious sin has disappeared?
That's what happens when people go off on their own, with their own agendas. We obey God through the Church. Anyone who does not isn't a true practicing Catholic.
Because what we seem to have at present is Eucharistic anarchy: “I’m a good person. I can go to Mass and Communion any time I want.”
A person has to be prepared in order to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It is not always easy, but it is always worth it.
“...when the line is right there in front of you, it’s a lot harder to pretend like it doesn’t exist.”
Exactly, a good point.
FReegards
If you think it is dead, you attend the wrong church. We have them on Saturday afternoons, 3:30-5, long lines; on Wednesday evenings; Sunday before the Latin mass at 1 and ANY TIME you request one. The lines are long.
Thank you, old player. I also think they are interesting discussions, with the caveat always that you don’t have to read something that is of no interest to you. Of course. As a Catholic convert, I love confession.
Confession is not dead for those that take their Catholic faith serious. I go every week, whether I have committed a moral sin or not.
“I derive my strength from daily Mass and Communion”
~ Vince Lombardi
There’s always a line at my parish and the surrounding ones.
My goal is once per month ... most times I make it, sometimes I don’t. Missed February. :-(
Ours has two in residence and three others that come in on weekends, along with three ordained deacons. We have seven scheduled Masses per weekend, and most are well-attended.
Glad that my archdiocese is having a Lenten special confession hour on Monday evenings.
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