 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
Angie_Rivas1
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Downey, USA |
| Posts: | 110 |
| First Name: | Angie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 19th, 2007 07:09 pm |
|
Hello again,
Sorry I was not sure where to post my message, but I trust Rick will know where to put it  if it does not belong here. I want to make sure I am spiritually ready for Lent. See, a year ago, I was barely living and was going through emotional as well as physical pain. My main focus was literally on surviving on a daily basis. I did not do any reflection on this holy time. I also remember that every time I went to confession, it was difficult to express and communicate well because I could not control myself from crying. The priest would try to console me and give me advice. He would give me absolution. However, there were things I had done when I was married, things that I'd said, doubts I had about the church, the clergy, the Virgen Mary, and the Eucharist that I did not say in confession. I have confessed that I made many mistakes and I am repented of all my horrible sins, how selfish I was in the past and how my actions/behavior caused a lot pain to others and myself. When the priest gave me absolution, am I forgiven for all the untold sins? or do I need to confess one by one? even if some of them happened years ago. I understand now that they are sinful. I committed some of them due to ignorance, confusion, and immaturity.
Angie
____________________
"Be not afraid" JPII
|
|
|
David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 1714 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 19th, 2007 09:11 pm |
|
Angie, according to your narrative, it seems clear that you confessed those “untold sins” in enough detail for the priest to absolve them. Unless there is a specific sin that bothers you enough to revisit it for counseling purposes, your job is done. Everything is forgiven.
Now for the future: You mention doubts. Doubt is a temptation, not a sin. It becomes a sin only when you step over the line and act on your doubt. You will know when that occurs because it will cause a significant change in your life.
Some time down the road, you may recall a sin from those times and wonder if you confessed it. You did so when you returned to the practice of your faith and confessed all the sins you could remember. Forgotten sins are taken as confessed and absolved if you confessed the rest in good faith. There is no evidence that you have not done that.
Something else: there is no need for anyone to stew over “general sinfulness.” In other words, if you can’t point to something specific, the “sins” you worry about are non-existent. So you can forget the whole thing and be at peace.
David
|
|
|
Angie_Rivas1
Member
| Joined: | Wed Oct 11th, 2006 |
| Location: | Downey, USA |
| Posts: | 110 |
| First Name: | Angie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 20th, 2007 03:48 pm |
|
David,
You've helped me understand things and see them in a different light. Thank you for not missing anything, and being so detailed and thoughtful in your responses For example, clarifying that doubt is not a sin. I know it is a given for many christians, however I was brought up in an extremely conservative Catholic home where traditions weren't explained, but done with a smile. My mom taught me that anything that was done out of "church" was sinful, even thoughts that did not relate to Christ. I do not blame her because she gave me what she knew from her mother. I pray the Lord helps me become wiser and to know more about the faith. So that I don't confuse terms- thinking doubt is a sin 
Hopefully, one day, I would be able to help others, the way I've been helped by you. I am thankful!
Angie
____________________
"Be not afraid" JPII
|
|
|
Current time is 08:26 am | |
|
|
|
|
|
