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Beth M.
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| Joined: | Tue Sep 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Mt. Angel, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 02:41 pm |
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I'm 16, and on a leadership team for my youth group, and was asked to give a talk on Confession, because I go every week. Anyway, the question came up about the history of confession. I realized that I didn't know the answer, but decided to find out. So, I was wondering if you could tell me how it started, when, and what the general reaction may have been about it. I imagine it was the Apostles who did them, but I also wondered if you could tell me some Bible passages about Confession. Thank you for all the help you can give me!!!!
____________________
Your Heart is Free. Have the Courage to follow it.--Braveheart
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 02:57 pm |
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Beth M. wrote: I'm 16, and on a leadership team for my youth group, and was asked to give a talk on Confession, because I go every week. Anyway, the question came up about the history of confession. I realized that I didn't know the answer, but decided to find out. So, I was wondering if you could tell me how it started, when, and what the general reaction may have been about it. I imagine it was the Apostles who did them, but I also wondered if you could tell me some Bible passages about Confession. Thank you for all the help you can give me!!!!
Beth, before anything else, let me welcome you to the Coming Home Network. We're happy to have you with us, and look forward to your participation.
New Advent has a great article on Confession which you'll find at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm . I can give some more details later, but I'm on my lunch hour at work right now so I don't have enough time to do it justice! The New Advent article will certainly get you started.
Welcome once again to CHN. Feel free to look around and participate in our discussions.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Beth M.
Member
| Joined: | Tue Sep 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Mt. Angel, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 03:04 pm |
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| thank you
____________________
Your Heart is Free. Have the Courage to follow it.--Braveheart
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JasPax
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 |
| Location: | North Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 208 |
| First Name: | James | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Episcopal to Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 03:08 pm |
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Hi Beth,
I like your name - my daughter's also.
Here is another site that you may find useful: http://www.catholic.com/library/confession.asp
God's Blessings,
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James
"Abide in me, and I in you..." John 15:4
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." John 6:56
RSV-2CE
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TT17Claret
Member
| Joined: | Fri Aug 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Summerville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 22 |
| First Name: | Tony T | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | cradle Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 03:11 pm |
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Beth,
In 1 Jn 1:9 we read "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Then in Mt 9:8 we see that after Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic the crowd marveled and "glorified God, who had given such authority to men". Notice how the inspired writer did not say "man" but the plural "men". That same authority Jesus passed on to his apostles in Jn 20:21-23 "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you...Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained". We see how going through a priest for absolution was prefigured in the Old Testament when we read Lev 5:5-6. Now, some people may say that as Christians we are called to forgive others so Jn 20 is only stating the obvious. But the key to that passage is "if you retain the sins of any, they are retained". When considering Mt 6:12 "...forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" we know that when others sin against us we have to forgive them, period, no ifs, ands, or buts. So Jn 20 could not be speaking about sins committed against the apostles but sins committed against others and subsequently confessed to them (the apostles). The authority of a priest to absolve us of our sins is given them at the sacrament of Holy Orders. In the early Church there are several writings concerning confession. I'll just mention two of them: in the Didache, which dates from AD 70, we read "Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience...On the Lord's Day gather together...after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1). Around AD248 the Early Father Origen wrote: "(a method of forgiveness is) the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner...does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord..." (Homilies on Leviticus 2:4). I hope this help and that I quoted nothing in error.
Tony T
____________________
Do NOT be discouraged, even Moses started out as a basket case.
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japhy
Member
| Joined: | Thu Apr 26th, 2007 |
| Location: | Princeton, New Jersey USA |
| Posts: | 179 |
| First Name: | Jeff / japhy | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | (Roman) Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 03:22 pm |
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As always, the Catholic Encyclopedia is a good starting place, and if your local library has the newer edition, you should check that out as well.
The Catechism also has much helpful information on the subject.
As for Scripture, here is a sample...
John 20:22-23 (the Apostles are given the power to forgive sins)
2 Corinthians 2:10-11 (the DR says "I have pardoned ... in the person of Christ")
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 ("the ministry of reconciliation")
James 5:14-17 (on anointing the sick, and on confessing sins to one another)
Last edited on Tue Sep 4th, 2007 03:26 pm by japhy
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[Mary said,] "Do whatever he tells you." - John 2:5
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Tue Sep 4th, 2007 10:32 pm |
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Beth, I was able to sneak in a little research before the end of my lunch hour, and I found a three-part series I think you'll find useful.
These are PDF files, so you'll need a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat to access them. Let me know if you have a problem and I'll upload them here.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Please let me know if you need any additional information.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Beth M.
Member
| Joined: | Tue Sep 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Mt. Angel, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 8 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Roman Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Sep 5th, 2007 01:59 am |
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actually, i think i've got the info i need. We'll also have a priest come in and talk, so this should be enough. thank you everyone for your help, i really appreciate all of this! In Christ,
Beth Mayer
____________________
Your Heart is Free. Have the Courage to follow it.--Braveheart
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