The Meaning of Confession

People seem to be confused in regards to the Sacrament of Confession. Confession is the Sacrament that Christ established to forgive us of our sins committed after Baptism. Theoretically, the grace of Baptism should be sufficient to carry us all the way through to death and to avoid all mortal sin. The sad reality is other and many of us sin after receiving Baptism. Venial sins are taken away with Holy Communion, granted that he who receives Holy Communion does so with the right disposition. It is not impossible to commit a mortal sin, but it is possible to go through life without committing one.   Read the Baltimore catechism in regards to making a good confession and to when a sin is really a sin. Sins of omission are to withhold an act of charity when the occasion calls for the performing of it. If I am a politician and I abstain from voting against abortion, then I committed a sin of omission. If I am a priest and my office calls me to preach against birth control and I do not do it, then I committed a sin of omission. God will not punish us in purgatory for sins that were unconfessed just because they were unremembered. When we confess, we always say to include all those sins that we don’t recall and the priest also includes in the act of absolution the sins that we don’t remember. Artificial birth control is grave matter and therefore a mortal sin. Those who continue in its practice and receive Holy Communion commit a double sin. Beside the impurity of artificial birth control there is the sacrilege of an unworthy Communion. It doesn’t matter what one feels about the matter, the fact is that it is a grave mortal sin.

Sunday has to maintain the character of Sunday and its holy day aspect. If someone inadvertently misses Mass at one time or another, it is understandable. What is not allowed to happen is for such things to become routine and to usurp the day of the Lord. Sport events cannot take the place of Sunday. They have to be worked around her schedule and not the other way around. If Sunday is despised, ignored, neglected, demeaned or given second place, then it is a mortal sin since a golden calf has taken God’s rightful place and glory.

Based on St. John’s words that we are all sinners and no one is justified, the Church established the disciplinary law that everyone must confess at least once a year. If they have no mortal sins to confess praise God! There are, however, always venial sins to confess and these can be brought to confession on that day.

Father Anthony Mellace