Posted on 03/01/2015 12:52:48 PM PST by NYer
Agreed. My old parish priest was a strong believer in frequent opportunities to recieve the sacrament, right up to holding an hour of confession time before every mass. Funny thing about it - when the line is right there in front of you, it’s a lot harder to pretend like it doesn’t exist.
For that matter, though, I wish more people would realize how wonderful this sacrament is. If one looks at sacraments for what they are - vessels of God’s grace - then it quickly becomes apparent that this is a fantastic method of infusing the spirit with it. In my experience, grace accumulates in the soul like medicine. One dose a week through the Eucharist is wonderful, but once a day if at all possible is orders of magnitude better.
Much the same is confession - if once a week for the Eucharist is great, why not amplify that grace with the other sacrament? I’m sure it is no coincidence that every other sacrament features the Eucharist alongside of it. Unlike the others, however, confession is unique in that we can avail ourselves of it as often as we need it!
.....Or they wait until a very major crisis hits them hard.
He had actually been very good. VII had been a problem (he was from the generation of priests just before it) but the real crunch came after the introduction of the new Mass in 1970. He was devastated, because he used to celebrate beautifully, and he was indeed very devout.
But he had no support. The pastor was so upset by all of this that he literally retired to his room and he was drunk every time I saw him. And the other assistant suddenly discovered in his inner gay, pot-smoking guy and was out with the teenage boys, smoking dope and helping them fix their cars...well, sort of. I think, though, that he did leave the priesthood before approaching any of the boys, because he was gone not too long after the introduction of the New Mass.
The other priest hung on for a while, but then was captured by this rather predatory woman and left the priesthood and married her. I will say that he acted honorably, because he no longer believed the religion or accepted its dictates. So after the initial year or so, when he was evicting people from the confessionals because of his own conscience, he gave up and went off, married the woman, and ended up as an alcohol counselor in an oil camp somewhere.
VII was the source of incredible misery.
....Then when it gets close to the two major holy days, Christmas and Easter, the lines do begin to get long.
From the lips of Jesus:
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever [sins] ye retain, they are retained.How would an Apostle learn of any man's sins, unless a man confessed them, verbally?
And yes, this apostolic office was passed on, as we see in Acts:
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Your first sentence contradicts itself.
I've never doubted that he may have been right. My complaint is he could never have discerned that in a 25 second one-way conversation.
I thought when the Catholic Church could inflict us with clowns like this, confession was no longer for me.
I may have a change of heart before I check out. We shall see.
Thank you for a kind remark and an open mind.
"The Case for Confession", audio.
Today was the First Reconciliation of Rose, 7. Her Dad was “too busy” to take her to her class’ formal 1st, we were moving the week before and had a pre scheduled charity event with 9 beneficiaries in a semi formal ceremony for which we are primarily responsible the week after, we “forgot”.
We were instrumental in turning it around today, Deo Gratias. Rose received the gift of rose soap, a six pack of expensive cupcakes for Rose to share, she got 2. She got a rose colored bible.
We all were ready to go to Confession, I explained to Rose how, after absolution, God forgets her sins, the priest can’t remember them immediately afterwards, the Sacrament thoroughly tranforms her, no “dung covered over with snow”. I told Rose what my confession would be, from start to finish, but there were 12 people in line, so it will have to wait for next Saturday.
Rose was thrilled with the gifts and the ceremoniality. If there’s any chance she will avail herself of the Sacrament lifelong, Rose has received it.
A nice, easy, affordable package; “You deserve salvation today” marketing tool, all wrapped up in a nice tidy bow by Lucifer.
You got that right. The majority of folks, a great many Catholics included, have accepted the marketing hype that they can just rub a little Superslick Christian Liberty Grease on anything they want to do and it's the same as what they do no longer being a sin in the first place.
Go to Confession. You won’t regret it.
“Couldn’t you tell by the title this is something you didn’t want to click on? I don’t click on pro-evolution, gozillion year old universe, what I call science fiction threads because I don’t want the headache.
Get over yourself and pass on this stuff.”
Yet you felt the need to click on this, which is in the “Catholic Caucus”, and post what you did in #18?
hmmmm.........
There are some FRiends on the Catholic Caucus that know I have differences with Catholicism, but this satanic trend of a lack of confession is not one of them. What’s your problem with my post.
There are many liberal Parishes where equivocation on Church teachings and the notion of consequences have lead many to avoid any sense of guilt.
My apologies.
The wording of your post gave the impression that “the Catholic Sacrament of Confession and Penance” was the satanic false gospel.
Thanks for clearing that up.
I concur. Salvation without confession/s is purely satanic.
I don’t mean that Catholic Confession/Penance is satanic. Salvation without confession is satanic.
Are you currently, actively Catholic?
Yeah, FRiend, I see how my comment could be misconstrued. I re-read my first paragraph, and I kinda was using the title question of the thread “Is Confession Dead?” as the lead in. False gospel, as in the lack of confession, is what I was trying to communicate. The lack of confession in modern Christianity is feel good fluff, and by many of the posts on this thread, confession is not so dead in a lot of parishes. That’s good to see.
Can you please define what that might be? This thread has been labeled "Catholic Caucus" in order to limit the discussion to Catholics for whom this is one of the 7 Sacraments of the Church.
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