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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
CONFESSION	John	Friday, January 6, 2012
Question: I'm physically disabled and am now confined to a wheelchair. I travel via wheelchair-accessible taxis, and being physically disabled, I no longer work and am somewhat financially limited. So making extra trips to the Sacrament of Reconciliation I sometimes find quite difficult. Of course, I always attend Sunday Mass and love receiving my Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. I have inquired about having priests come to where I live and hear my confession - however, they are reluctant to do so (claiming they are too busy). What am I to do? I'm not aware of any mortal sins on my soul (but venial ones, yes). I truly love the Sacrament of Reconciliation (as I do the Mass, and receiving Holy Communion as often as I can). But I'm reluctant to receive Communion unless I'm well prepared (and this includes confessing any known sins, even venial sins, to a priest beforehand). When the Sacrament of Reconciliation occurred immediately before Sunday night Mass, there was no problem at all. I could "kill two birds with one stone"! But now it's much more difficult to have access to a priest who will hear my confession, and sometimes I feel inadequately prepared to receive my dear Lord Jesus in Communion. In view of my situation, would simply confessing to the Lord (without a priest) be sufficient? I know that all venial sins are blotted out at Mass, but still I long to be just right and beautiful interiorly to receive Jesus. Do you think I'm being over-scrupulous?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D. Dear John: There is a little scrupulosity in not receiving the Eucharist if you only sins are venial. The Mass and Eucharist is a way to have venial sins forgiven. So, do not hesitate to receive the Eucharist if your sins are only venial. As for grave sins, you can be restored to a State of Grace right away, by saying an Act of Perfect Contrition. Perfect Contrition is being sorry for your sins because you love God and have disappointed Him. Imperfect Contrition is sorrow for sins out of fear of hell. This Act of Perfect Contrition is outside of the Sacrament of Confession. Thus, if you sin gravely on Monday and Confession is not until Saturday, saying a Act of Perfect Confession restores you to a State of Grace so that if you die before Saturday you are still heavenbound. There are two condtions for this: 1) the sins must be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession at one's earliest opportunity; 2) do not receive the Eucharst until you have been to the Sacrament of Confession to confess those sins you confessed to God in the Act of Perfect Contrition. As to availability of a priest to hear confessions, there is no job of the Priest that is more important than hearing confessions. Nothing takes priority over hearing confessions and also last rites. It is patently inexcusable for a priest to say he has not time to hear your confession. If arrangements cannot be made, I would write to the Bishop. One solution is to ask your pastor to hear your confession before Sunday Mass since you do get to Sunday Mass. The priest does not have to offer Confession before the Mass to the Congregation, but rather make a personal appointment with you. Bottomline: If suitable arrangements cannot be made, then I would contact the bishop. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

CONFESSION

John

Friday, January 6, 2012

Question:

I'm physically disabled and am now confined to a wheelchair. I travel via wheelchair-accessible taxis, and being physically disabled, I no longer work and am somewhat financially limited. So making extra trips to the Sacrament of Reconciliation I sometimes find quite difficult. Of course, I always attend Sunday Mass and love receiving my Lord Jesus in Holy Communion.

I have inquired about having priests come to where I live and hear my confession - however, they are reluctant to do so (claiming they are too busy). What am I to do?

I'm not aware of any mortal sins on my soul (but venial ones, yes). I truly love the Sacrament of Reconciliation (as I do the Mass, and receiving Holy Communion as often as I can). But I'm reluctant to receive Communion unless I'm well prepared (and this includes confessing any known sins, even venial sins, to a priest beforehand).

When the Sacrament of Reconciliation occurred immediately before Sunday night Mass, there was no problem at all. I could "kill two birds with one stone"! But now it's much more difficult to have access to a priest who will hear my confession, and sometimes I feel inadequately prepared to receive my dear Lord Jesus in Communion.

In view of my situation, would simply confessing to the Lord (without a priest) be sufficient? I know that all venial sins are blotted out at Mass, but still I long to be just right and beautiful interiorly to receive Jesus. Do you think I'm being over-scrupulous?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D.

Dear John:

There is a little scrupulosity in not receiving the Eucharist if you only sins are venial. The Mass and Eucharist is a way to have venial sins forgiven. So, do not hesitate to receive the Eucharist if your sins are only venial.

As for grave sins, you can be restored to a State of Grace right away, by saying an Act of Perfect Contrition. Perfect Contrition is being sorry for your sins because you love God and have disappointed Him. Imperfect Contrition is sorrow for sins out of fear of hell.

This Act of Perfect Contrition is outside of the Sacrament of Confession. Thus, if you sin gravely on Monday and Confession is not until Saturday, saying a Act of Perfect Confession restores you to a State of Grace so that if you die before Saturday you are still heavenbound.

There are two condtions for this:

1) the sins must be confessed in the Sacrament of Confession at one's earliest opportunity;

2) do not receive the Eucharst until you have been to the Sacrament of Confession to confess those sins you confessed to God in the Act of Perfect Contrition.

As to availability of a priest to hear confessions, there is no job of the Priest that is more important than hearing confessions. Nothing takes priority over hearing confessions and also last rites. It is patently inexcusable for a priest to say he has not time to hear your confession. If arrangements cannot be made, I would write to the Bishop.

One solution is to ask your pastor to hear your confession before Sunday Mass since you do get to Sunday Mass. The priest does not have to offer Confession before the Mass to the Congregation, but rather make a personal appointment with you.

Bottomline: If suitable arrangements cannot be made, then I would contact the bishop.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum