how does going to confession help me live easter better

Easter is a time to be merry, for Christ meets with us again and He has truly turned the tide of history. St. Thomas Aquinas aligns the Sacrament of Penance with the virtue of penance. In the confessional, the Father embraces us like prodigal sons, clothing us in His grace and adorning us with unearned gifts. Therefore, we go to confession because it is a sacrament given to us by Christ, and it has always been a practice of the Church. Lent is a great time to go to confession, as it helps prepare ourselves for the Easter season. As a start, I propose seven reasons. The mention of the “age of discretion” refers to the fact that children who are too young to have made their First Confession are of course exempt from this obligation. … The grace of Lent is often an increase of our self-knowledge. A couple of significant problems with this approach are perhaps the reasons why it is not a current, widespread practice. These examples of Peter and Paul show not only how freely Christ offers mercy after the Resurrection, but how this Easter mercy has the power to turn great sinners into great saints. His graces of healing and strengthening await us in the confessional. We have lived by our own strength, and not by the power of your resurrection. Paul, in recounting his preaching, highlights the same focus: he preached that all men “should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance” (Acts 26:20). A: As has been seen so many times before in this space, canon law is grounded in theology. At the turn of the tide. In order to obviate this problem, the pastor apparently established a system to determine whether in fact each parishioner had received the sacrament of penance before Easter. © Copyright 2021 Catholic Exchange. If you are unsure what to say, ask the priest for help. Frequent confession not only forgives your sin, it gives you grace to help you work on your faults and to be a better person. Firstly, the system presumes that every parishioner will go to confession in his own parish. Then, he returned to Notre Dame's Echo program and completed an M.A. Yet, the great storm is coming. Maybe we realized that we commit a sin that we were unaware of before. Find a Catholic priest to hear your confession. Confession helps us think more clearly about our sins, recognize our need for God’s grace to live in a way that pleases him and strengthen our resolve to resist the temptation to sin. Nor is it a good idea to fall into the trap of thinking that it is not worthwhile to confess sins that are “just” venial. Easter is the turning point, but the war is not over. That canon, in turn, was based on the discipline decreed by the Church during the Council of Trent (1545-1563), formulated in response to protestant claims that sacramental confession of one’s sins to a priest was not of divine origin and was unnecessary. At the turn of the tide. The Council did decree that “the rite and formulas of penance are to be revised in such a way that they may more clearly express the nature and effects of this sacrament” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, #72). Confession is His Easter gift. For the baptized, Confession is the privileged sacrament of repentance unto life. (The different rites within the universal Catholic Church were discussed in more detail in the September 20, 2007 column .) What can change over time, however, are the disciplinary practices (what one might call “housekeeping details”) pertaining to this sacrament, like that described in Janet’s question. Prayers of Confession on Easter. Privacy Policy and As a virtue, penance is like a muscle: the more we repent of our sins and frequent the Sacrament of Penance, the quicker and better we will be transformed by God’s mercy. This means that anyone may lawfully go to confession in any Catholic parish; and this holds true even if, for example, the Catholic is a member of the Latin rite and he wishes to go to confession at a Byzantine-rite Catholic parish. So if Janet’s pastor did not receive a card from one of his parishioners, it was always possible that the person had gone to confession somewhere else. https://catholicexchange.com/50-things-ever-wanted-know-confession When we went to confession before Easter, we handed the card to the priest. Or maybe we see with greater clarity the depths of ours sins and the damage they cause. Going back to confession It turns out that it’s not difficult to find a time to go to confession — most parishes host a confession time multiple times a week, and some even have it every day! The great storm is coming, but the tide has turned” (LOTR III.5). These words capture an important truth. Reconciliation. I encourage you to schedule going to confession. For most people, there is a sense of dread. ... it can only help make us better individuals. Therefore, technically speaking, a person who does not commit any mortal sins throughout his life is not required to go to confession at any time, including the Easter season. Easter is a good time to flex the muscle. It was not a fool-proof system, of course, but it was a logical and sincere attempt to ensure that nobody was making a sacrilegious Communion in the parish. If one adheres to the minimum requirements, he is not violating the law—but that does not necessarily mean that doing only the bare minimum is a good idea. Consequently, a pastor like Janet’s might reasonably have expected that at Easter, Holy Communion would be received by everyone in his parish—including some who ordinarily might not receive the sacrament, for a variety of reasons. In God’s great love for us, He makes sure we know h… Image: detail from The Harrowing of Hades in the parecclesion of the Chora Church, Istanbul [photo by: José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, (CC BY-SA 3.0)], "The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God." Sin. The preceding canon does note that it is recommended that the faithful also confess their venial sins (c. 988.2 ); but a recommendation is not an obligation. Resurrection and repentance are connected in the wondrous phrase: “repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18). How can you get more out of your Lenten confession? Confession & Forgiveness. How St. Joseph is Patron of a Happy & Holy Death | Fr. We can see that with regard to a Catholic’s obligation to confess his sins annually, nothing whatsoever has been changed for nearly 500 years! On the surface, it’s a very simple, straightforward canon, but let’s unpack it to be sure we understand exactly what is required of us. As was discussed in greater detail back in the September 8, 2007 column , the current Code of Canon Law was promulgated in 1983 by Pope John Paul II, replacing the previous code of 1917. If we wait too long for the next Confession, our virtue atrophies and we return to Confession with great difficulty. We share the same struggle. An honest, humble, and thorough examination of consciencehelps you to prepare for the sacrament. I am in a position where my daughter (16 now) did’nt attent “pre confirmation” class last year as set out according to the “rules” of the church, so this year she has been denied the sacrament of confirmation due to that. Perhaps there were some parishioners who the pastor knew well were not regularly practicing their faith, or who might even be living scandalously sinful lives. Let’s take a look at what the current law says about confessing one’s sins at Easter time, and compare it to church law in the past. The pastor could not necessarily make any definitive conclusions about a parishioner’s failure to submit the card to him. The Good Shepherd draws back the lost sheep. Edward Looney & Jeannie Ewing, Making Habits for Holiness | Fr. This ongoing battle between light and darkness will continue until Christ returns. Later, the Risen Christ converted Paul (then called Saul) who was still plotting the murder of Christians (Acts 9). Obviously canon 989 does not contain any particularly stringent requirements, and to many Catholics may actually seem quite lax! The preaching of both Peter and Paul united Christ’s Resurrection and man’s repentance. We meet again. Pastor: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Thus this system, while intended to encourage parishioners to go to confession before Easter, could actually discourage some of them from doing so. Oh, My, if ONLY one could go to confession in this diocese the last week of Holy Week. Our current canon 989 is virtually identical to the 1917 code’s canon 906. How to Go to Confession… Click here for printer friendly version First, take a little time to pray quietly and read through the examination of conscience below. Amen. This shows us how God has always provided a way for us to reconcile with Him. The Church encourages us to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year. Both are reminders that the mercy of Good Friday flows with increasing might throughout Eastertide and beyond. [Related Content: How to Make a Good Confession] Wrapping it all up… We celebrate Easter to its fullest when we have properly prepared ourselves during Lent. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.” Second, a Catholic must make a firm commitment to go to confession … Most importantly just go. Let us fight like Gospel men. But there is no obligation to receive the sacrament of penance in a particular church or from a particular priest. This involves striving to make better examinations of conscience, to have greater sorrow, and to … Design by Perceptions Studio. icon) depicts Christ’s light breaking into a dark world. Canon 916 simply restates Catholic sacramental theology when it asserts that anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not receive the Eucharist without first having gone to confession. Download a printable version. Christ assures His elect of victory, but also assures them of a real fight: “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Confession. The methods which the Church may use to urge or encourage Catholics to frequent the confessional can vary; but the need for us all to receive this sacrament regularly will always remain unchanged. The short answer is that Jesus established this sacrament. This ongoing battle between light and darkness will continue until Christ returns. In fact, however, there is no legal requirement to receive the sacrament at these particular times. Let us fight like Gospel men. Do those words strike fear in you? Confession is Christ’s Easter gift to the Church. Adapted from Acts 10:34-43. ... Do your penance and start to live a renewed and better life. Advertise on Catholic Exchange I can always feel it when I have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation for too long. On the second and fourth Sundays of Easter, the Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday and Good Shepherd Sunday, respectively. Lord, hear us and help us. Christ assures His elect of victory, but also assures them of a real fight: “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Most American Catholics are at home with the traditional notion that while we should go to confession throughout the year, it is particularly necessary at Christmas and Easter time. First of all, confession makes me humble and hopefully keeps me that way. We're not going to do it this year, for a few reasons. Christ our hope has arisen. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-sacrament-of-confession-542139 On the first Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples and gave them the power to forgive sins. Especially, though not exclusively, in cases where a penitent feels a particular embarrassment about having to confess a certain sin, it may be much easier to receive the sacrament in the darkened interior of a traditional confessional-box, from an unknown confessor whom he may very well never meet again. We meet again. The icon shows the power of Christ’s light, but also the darkness lingering in the world. Therefore, technically speaking, a person who does not commit any mortal sins throughout his life is not required to go to confession at any time, including the Easter season. Can You Be Baptized with the Baptism with which I Am Baptized? for Easter worship. Open your heart, go to confession during Advent. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Much of the work for a good celebration of a sacrament takes place prior to arriving at church. Confession accomplishes several different things that are related to each other by consequence. The great storm is coming, but the tide has turned” (LOTR III.5). In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf makes a sort of Resurrection appearance to his comrades, returning after defeating an ancient evil in the earth’s depths. I am not for a moment advocating excessive drinking and getting drunk! But it does tie in directly with a requirement to receive the sacrament of penance first, if one has committed mortal sin. For most of us, our call is mainly to conquer our vices and grow in virtue, all by the grace of God. It is important to keep in mind here that the code is mandating the absolute minimum that is acceptable for a practicing Catholic. the. Terms of Service apply. Lent is a great time for Catholics to return to Confession, but it would be wrong to think that Easter is not. For the confession to be valid, the penitent must confess all of the mortal sins he or she is aware of having committed since the last confession, be sorry for them, and have a firm purpose of amendment to try not to commit the same sins in the future. He tells them: “Be merry! Put it on your calendar. It is well known that the late pontiff himself confessed his sins every single day—and one might reasonably assume that they were venial, rather than mortal sins! Canon 920 notes that once a Catholic has received his First Holy Communion, he is obliged to receive this sacrament at least once a year, during paschal time (i.e., between Easter and Pentecost). Fr. This in turn leads to hope that sin can be overcome and grace can take hold. Even if a parishioner believes that the priest(s) of his own parish may not be able to identify him, the need to somehow reach around inside the confessional and hand the priest a card may very well enable him to do just that! the Anastasis icon) depicts Christ’s light breaking into a dark world. Confession at Christmastime need not be a burdensome chore, insist priests of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Easter is a time to be merry, for Christ meets with us again and He has truly turned the tide of history. By Easter he had a huge stack of cards, showing which parishioners had made their Easter Duty and who hadn’t. Confession. For the last few years, Saint Paul's has taken part in a growing practice in the Church to forego the Confession during Easter Season. Find a confession session. In John 20: 22-23, Jesus appeared to the Apostles after He had risen from the dead: Even before Jesus gave these instructions, we can look back in the Old Testament (see Leviticus 4) and see the sin offerings God instructed the Jews to make. in theology, while serving in the Diocese of Wilmington, DE. Some of the faithful are inhibited from going to confession because they fear that they do not know how to go, especially with the various changes initiated since Vatican Council II. The priest might begin with a greeting, and a Scripture quote. The traditional icon of the Resurrection (i.e. While there are plenty of Catholics who are quite content to confess their sins face-to-face, in the sight of the priest (who may recognize them if he already knows them personally), there are also a significant number of faithful who prefer anonymity. Make a good confession, and then try your best, with the help of grace, to keep your soul clean, open, and ready to receive our Savior in Holy Communion on the first and second Sundays of Easter. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. All rights reserved. Going to confession becomes easier the more often you do it, but once you fall out of the practice, it can be increasingly difficult to get back into it. After this, the priest will generally give some advice to the penitent and impose a penance. No Christian is exempt from Christ’s call to arms—not even the hobbit-souled. The implication, therefore, is that once a child has reached the age of reason and has received the sacrament of penance for the first time, this annual requirement applies. Jubilarians of the Province of St. Joseph, 7 Reasons to Return to Confession in Easter. Considering that we are reborn spiritually in confession and fortified by grace in Holy Communion, we should think of our Easter Duty as an opportunity to become the better man God calls us to be. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. Pentecost: the Difference that the Spirit Makes. Make an act of contrition, the pope said, and promise God, “‘I will go to confession afterward, but forgive me now.’ And immediately you will return to a state of grace with God.” By this gesture, Christ instituted the Sacrament of Confession. Canon 991 states clearly that every Catholic is free to confess his sins to a confessor of his own choice, even to one of another rite. C1. There is certainly nothing wrong with a penitent preferring to use a confessional with a grill or other privacy-screen between him and the confessor; nor even with a person wishing to confess specifically to a priest who does not know him at all! Joseph Martin Hagan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2009. , Gandalf makes a sort of Resurrection appearance to his comrades, returning after defeating an ancient evil in the earth’s depths. The Divine Mercy beckons the sinner home. The most fundamental theological teaching about the sacrament of penance—that reception of the sacrament is necessary when we are conscious of having committed grave sin (c. 988.1 )—will never change, because as Catholics we believe that this sacrament was instituted for this very purpose by Christ Himself. First, I'm pretty sure nobody got it. Most people didn't notice it was missing and those who did, I'm… Obviously canon 989 does not contain any particularly stringent requirements, and to … Jesus Christ, risen Master and triumphant Lord, we come to you in sorrow for our sins, and confess to you our weakness and unbelief. We should always pay heed to our conscious and be attentive that when we do wrong, we do … https://www.catholicscomehome.org/.../what-is-the-sacrament-of-confession Lest anyone wonder whether this is an innovation in the 1983 code, the corresponding canon in the 1917 code was, once again, virtually identical. Therefore, technically speaking, a person who does not commit any mortal sins throughout his life is not required to go to confession at any time, including the Easter season. We have lived by the light of our own eyes, as faithless and not believing. Christ breathed on his disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, Peter’s first two sermons announce Christ’s Resurrection, but also our need for conversion: “Repent and be baptized!” (Acts 2:38) and “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). … In such ways, Lent can show us where we need to grow, but such growth often demands much more than forty days. Communion with Saints Cornelius and Cyprian. No Christian is exempt from Christ’s call to arms—not even the hobbit-souled. If such people were to approach a priest distributing Holy Communion at Easter Sunday Mass, he might logically be concerned that they could still be in a state of grave sin. The following year, he spent trekking around Ireland, serving with N.E.T. Confession: Confess all your sins to the priest. This sacrament is so important in our sharing in the life of Christ, the Church has even mandated its practice. On the first Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples and gave them the power to forgive sins. Of course, it doesn’t help that we get Facebooked and Tweeted daily Lenten reminders from Pope Francis to “ Be courageous, and go to confession!” or even see moving images of him walking toward the first open confessional. But nowadays, people hardly ever go to confession like they used to, and nobody ever talks about Easter Duty. Hope you guys can help me. Confession is Christ’s Easter gift to the Church. The traditional icon of the Resurrection (i.e. Not at all. Here’s an Easter prayer of confession written by John Birch. We may know that we are supposed to go to the Sacrament of Confession at least once a year and whenever we have committed a mortal sin. If he knew that everybody had done so, he might rest easier about giving them all the Eucharist. –Janet. Yet, the great storm is coming. In your mercy, forgive us. The Risen Christ reconciled Peter to Himself, healing his threefold denial by a threefold confession of love (John 21:15-17). During this season of Lent, we are encouraged to make a good Confession in preparation for Easter. Beyond ‘do laundry’, ‘write essay’, ‘finish reading list’, ‘send invitations’, there is this pesky ‘go to confession’ bullet. The icon shows the power of Christ’s light, but also the darkness lingering in the world. Follow it up with confession in Easter. The Third of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God is, "Remember to That in turn leads to perseverance which prevents me from getting complacent and giving up. In this battle between virtue and vice, Confession is indispensable: forgiving our sins and strengthening our union with Jesus Christ, our mighty God. Don’t get me wrong! So what was happening in Janet’s parish when she was a kid? Obviously canon 989 does not contain any particularly stringent requirements, and to … The Risen Christ reconciled with two great saints: Peter and Paul. In this battle between virtue and vice, Confession is indispensable: forgiving our sins and strengthening our union with Jesus Christ, our mighty God. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. For most of us, our call is mainly to conquer our vices and grow in virtue, all by the grace of God. - ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA. Edward Looney: How We Can Meditate on the Holy Mass. Christ our hope has arisen. Thus if he is not conscious of having committed any such sins, there is no requirement to receive the sacrament. Canon 989 states merely that everyone who has reached the age of discretion is required to confess his grave sins at least once a year. Whatever God began in us during Lent (even if we don’t sense it yet), the Divine Physician wants to continue in us throughout Eastertide. Though a priest can usually be found at most times with enough looking, going to a scheduled session is easiest. The practice she describes, which was not unique, was one means that parish pastors sometimes used in the past to try to ensure that none of their parishioners received Holy Communion at Easter time in a state of mortal sin. In fact, with a little reflection, we can find many reasons why Easter is a particularly graced time to go to Confession, even after a lackluster Lent. The second objection is more pastoral than canonical, and concerns a penitent’s privacy. To answer Janet’s question, therefore, the law concerning mandatory reception of the sacrament of penance has certainly not changed in our lifetimes. Divine Mercy Sunday and Good Shepherd Sunday: mercy is increasing. During Lent, priests go into overtime hearing confessions as Catholics — regular Sunday Mass goers and once-a-year types — seek a more grace-filled spiritual state to celebrate Easter. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:22ff.). Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, Fr. But the disciplinary practice at her childhood parish—which in any case was never a universal custom—is not in force throughout the Catholic Church today. In the sacrament of reconciliation, we drink from the depths of Divine Mercy, where God replenishes us with the graces needed to live in and act out of love each day. For while the code does not mandate that we Catholics must receive the sacrament of penance at any particular time of year, it does specify that we receive Holy Communion during the Easter season. I also need to bless my family by going to Confession regularly. Download a more detailed instruction ... Help me to do penance, to do better, and to avoid anything that might lead me to sin. We serve a risen Saviour yet live as if in chains. He tells them: “Be merry! This can either be done by dropping in or making a phone call; many churches have designated times for confessions. But sometimes when at a party, a wedding, or some other social event, someone with a few drinks under his belt starts to loosen up about deep, dark, secrets that he would never discuss when sober, and invariably I end asking him if he’d ever brought his concern into confession. This, and not a perceived requirement to go to confession, is the actual origin of the term “Easter Duty.”. Christ breathed on his disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. The Risen Christ offers us eternal life, and we enter into this through repentance. The canon notes specifically that a Catholic is required to confess his grave (i.e., mortal) sins. Forgive us, Lord that we are so hesitant to live the resurrection life. Q: When I was a kid, everyone was required during Lent to make his “Easter Duty.” Every parishioner received a card from the parish. Even if you have not committed any mortal sins that need confessing, confessing venial sins also removes obstacles to all that our Lord wants to do in your heart. Pope John Paul, in his 1984 Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliation and Penance , noted that venial sin “must never be underestimated, as though it were automatically something that can be ignored or regarded as ‘a sin of little importance’” (17). Writing your sins on a piece of paper before you These words capture an important truth. The next step is improved preparation for confession. Take as much time as necessary. Ministries. Has this requirement been abolished like so many other things? He entered the Order of Preachers in 2012 and was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday May 25th, 2019. Was the law more demanding in the past?

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