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Dear Father Angelo,

My ex-boyfriend introduced me to this site and I thank him for that.

I would ask you about the purpose of confessing. I do that, and willingly.

I always received less than exhaustive answers and I always love doing deeds as I wish to understand them.

Why is confession necessary? And, why cannot one receive Communion after a sin?

Cristiana

The Priest’s answer

Dear Cristiana,

1.  sacramental confession is necessary for the remission of sins.

Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament on the evening following His resurrection when He said to the apostles: “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20,22-23).

2. A sin (that is mortal or grave) causes losing the status of grace, which consists in the communion in supernatural life with God.

No one can return to grace on his or her own, because of the actual disproportion between the natural and the supernatural levels, likewise a piece of wood cannot set itself on fire. It is necessary for someone to heat it and set fire to it.

3. Only God can communicate the supernatural life of grace.

Ordinarily, He communicates it through people (priests) who received this power by Him through Holy Orders.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: ‘Only God forgives sins (rf. Mk 2:7). Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: “Your sins are forgiven” (rf. Mk 2:10). Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name (rf. Jn 20,21-23)’ (CCC 1441).

4. Therefore and absolutely, Confession is necessary to recover the status of grace if one finds oneself in mortal sin.

But ‘Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful’ (CCC 1458).

5. Now, let us come to the second question: why is the confession of grave sins necessary before receiving Holy Communion?

Precisely because it is about communion!

By a grave sin, communion with God is broken on one’s own initiative and the status of grace is lost.

As Holy Scriptures say, one crucifies the Lord again by a grave sin (rf. Heb 6:6) and expels Him from one’s own heart.

One cannot pretend to be in communion with Him after such an act!

First, it is necessary to ask for forgiveness and reconcile with Him and with the Church through sacramental confession.

6. Precisely for this reason Holy Scriptures say: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying” (1Cor 11,27-30).

I underline verse 27: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord”. This means that one would commit a new sin, a sacrilege.

And that is why it is said: “A person should examine himself” (v.28). That is, do examine your conscience to see if it is as it should be for someone who receives such a great sacrament.

If one does not recognize the status of sin then he or she can approach it but, if one finds a serious sin, he or she must first purify himself or herself by the sacrament of penance.

Otherwise, one “eats and drinks judgment on himself” (v.29).

7. About confession, we must remember one last thing: what is forgiven in the name of God by the priest, it will no longer be reported in the judgment that we shall face when we shall appear afore the tribunal of Christ.

In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: ‘In this sacrament, the sinner, placing himself before the merciful judgment of God, anticipates in a certain way the judgment to which he will be subjected at the end of his earthly life. For it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and it is only by the road of conversion that we can enter the Kingdom, from which one is excluded by grave sin. In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and “does not come into judgment” ’ (CCC 1470).

Wishing that frequent and regular confession becomes constant in your life, I bless you.

Father Angelo