CONFESSSION

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

i went to confession, today and im not sure that i confessed a sin Adequatly, but i did confess it. I was wondering if i should recieve communion at mass tonight any thoughts?

[the_rev]

YOu confessed your sin, and made an act of contrition, and if the absolution was valid, ALL YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

[cappie]

[quote name='the_rev' date='Dec 25 2005, 07:34 AM']YOu confessed your sin, and made an act of contrition, and if the absolution was valid, ALL YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.
[right][snapback]835512[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Yep what he says. If it still bothers then see the priest after Christmas : when things calm down a little :

Edited December 24, 2005 by cappie

[Ash Wednesday]

Extra, by any chance do you suffer from scrupulosity, or have you spoken to your priest about it?

[avemaria40]

If you confessed it, then you have received forgiveness and should receive Holy Communion and the abundant graces that come with it.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

well i recieved communion....

no i have never talked to a priest about it. Its just that i confessed the sin, but didn't go into as much detail. its really confusing how much detail to share with one's confessor.

[avemaria40]

You only need to confess the sin itself, and then ask questions, etc, if needed for clarification, then your forgiven

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

i thought you had to give number as well plus details. plus thats the thing i said the sin but didn't give all the detail.

[avemaria40]

I think you have to say how many times you did it, but other than that, i don't think it's necessary to go into detail unless you want the priest to clarify something

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

I really have to talk to a priest about it.... but next week probably. because its worrying me and if did indeed not go into enough detail then i have never been in a state of grace.

[Guest JeffCR07]

Extra, if I might offer a word concerning scrupulosity.

We should confess our sins in number and kind. This means saying what the sin was, but that does not call for the sin to be described in detail. To use a crude example, when an adulterer confesses that he commited the sin of adultery twice, he need not go into the explicit details of what he did. The priest knows what "adultery" is, and in fact, it would not benefit the priest to give him a play-by-play.

I know that you are not doing this, but the example was intended for you to see that scrupulous attention to detail is not necessary in order for absolution. If you name the sin and perhaps give the general circumstances, and tell how many times you have committed it, then you have said what you need to say. If the priest thinks he needs more information, he will ask you

Your Brother In Christ,

Jeff

[qfnol31]

Idon't think the Priest wants to hear a very detailed account of many things...could be bad for his health.

I'm actually very serious about that too.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

EENS, I suffer greatly from scrupulosity if you ever need anyone to talk with. I've finally had enough and started taking a stand...we can't let Satan rob us of our peace...and we can't let ourselves fall into any sort of legalism that reduces our understanding of Christ from a Loving Person to a condemning law.

Christ is King of All Hearts and knows all hearts.

Devote yourself to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. Also, read St. Alphonsus Liguori.

[cappie]

[quote name='qfnol31' date='Dec 25 2005, 01:55 PM']Idon't think the Priest wants to hear a very detailed account of many things...could be bad for his health. 

I'm actually very serious about that too.
[right][snapback]835603[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Speaking as a priest I agree

[Ash Wednesday]

I understand the unpleasant hole that scrupulosity can put someone in, as well. I specifically had those kinds of problems moreso in college and when I was in a relationship with another scrupulous person (which can be a recipe for disaster...)

I've seen someone leave the church over their scrupulosity. Over time, like Chinese water torture, all the nagging doubts and constant state of servial fear of God with very little, if any, joy in sight finally drove them away.

I'm glad to hear that you are taking a stand, Raph. The more I try to educate myself and just say: Look. In a nutshell, my life is about figuring out my life and its mission one day at a time, and to stay the course and never turn away from God. If he is going to push some trap door button at the Gates of Heaven because somewhere along the way I tripped up on some number or legality somewhere, so be it. But I personally don't think God works that way, and quite frankly, scrupulosity doesn't really seem to help someone grow in holiness.

I do not mean to say that we aren't supposed to strive for perfection, because we are. But I feel sometimes that, though probably unintentional, there is a prevailing atmosphere that sometimes crops up on phatmass -- which almost feels like a sort of "secret handshake" or "perfect formula" mentality. It's one of those things where I can understand why protestants are troubled when it seems like Catholics emphasize God's salvation coming through one's own merits and works -- like God's love is conditional -- if we do everything right, and in the perfect combination, THEN God will love us.

I suppose because we often see so much indifference it's easy to lose sight of the need to balance. It's nice we all have each other for wisdom and support.