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brian
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Chicago South Burbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 720 |
| First Name: | brian | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | methodist, evangelical, anglican, catholic |
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Posted: Tue Oct 23rd, 2007 01:02 pm |
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I went to a confession and the priest either forgot or chose to not make me say an official act of contrition. This is funny because I was specifically asking about how he might want me to perform that partof the confession before we started and then we still forgot it. Is it a necessary part of the confession? Are my sins not forgiven because I did not offer any act of contrition out loud?
It is also hard to understand how he could forgive y sins if I go to confession directly after receiving the Eucharist since my sins would already be forgiven through the Eucharist (unless some were mortal and I did not realize it).
In this case is it proper to view the confession as more of reveiving the grace of a sacrament and some advice for healing and a resolve and commitment to sin no more? What is the absolution if through other means your sins are already forgiven?
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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 Oct 23rd, 2007 02:26 pm |
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brian wrote: I went to a confession and the priest either forgot or chose to not make me say an official act of contrition. This is funny because I was specifically asking about how he might want me to perform that partof the confession before we started and then we still forgot it. Is it a necessary part of the confession? Are my sins not forgiven because I did not offer any act of contrition out loud?
There are three things necessary for the Sacrament of Penance to be effective:
1. You are baptized.
2. You tell the priest the truth, including all serious sins you remember.
3. He gives you absolution.
The format, Act of Contrition, and penance are for your benefit. If it is not part of the actual confession, you should say an Act of Contrition privately. And, of course, you should perform your penance as soon as possible to the best of your ability.
It is also hard to understand how he could forgive y sins if I go to confession directly after receiving the Eucharist since my sins would already be forgiven through the Eucharist (unless some were mortal and I did not realize it).
Has anyone ever told you they were sorry for something even though you had already forgiven them? We humans gain from asking for forgiveness and hearing the words of absolution, whether it is from a girlfriend, a priest, a parent, a sibling, or a friend. It never hurts us to confess a sin even if we believe it is already forgiven by God through the Eucharist. Also, confessing sins we believe are already forgiven helps the priest to give us spiritual guidance, even if absolution isn't necessary.
In this case is it proper to view the confession as more of reveiving the grace of a sacrament and some advice for healing and a resolve and commitment to sin no more? What is the absolution if through other means your sins are already forgiven?
The sacrament is all of the above all the time, whether we have serious sins to confess or not. It's not only medicine for a wounded soul, it's a shot of vitamins to help prevent spiritual illness, too. A doctor heals us through vaccinations, too, and so does a priest.
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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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brian
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Chicago South Burbs, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 720 |
| First Name: | brian | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | methodist, evangelical, anglican, catholic |
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Posted: Tue Oct 23rd, 2007 03:53 pm |
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| thank you for the help.
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