Dear Linda:

The Church requires confession once a year (Canon Law 989) if one has mortal sin on one's soul. Since the Church also requires the reception of the Eucharist at least once per year during the Easter Season (Canon law 920) the usual practice is to seek confession shortly before the required reception of the Eucharist during the Easter Season.

This, of course, is a severe minimum requirement. The Church and the Saints recommend frequent reception of the Sacraments of Confession and Eucharist.

Traditionally, weekly confession was a common practice. Today the conventional wisdom is to seek the Sacrament of Confession at least once every month even if one does not have any mortal sins to confess.

In studying the Saints you will notice that virtually all of them had the practice of confession either weekly or monthly. It is a good religious and spiritual practice since the Sacrament of Confession is not merely a sacrament of forgiveness and reconciliation, but also of healing. The Church recommends bringing venial sins to the Sacrament, too, even though it is not required, because the healing grace of the Sacrament can help heal the wounds of venial sin.

As long as someone has not committed a grave sin more often, they can get by with confession once a year or three times a year or whatever. I do not understand this myself for two reasons:

1. How can a person go that long without committing a grave sin? I can't. I suspect that the person does not fully understand the definition of grave sin.
   
2. I don't know about anyone else, but gas in my car runs out after a about a month (I stay home most of the time). To confess only three times a year, or once a year, is like filling up the gas tank only three times, or once, a year. I suppose some people do not drive much :)

Seriously, I expect that those who make it a practice to confess only three times per year, or once a year, do not fully understand the definition of grave sin. We live in a culture that no longer recognizes sin as sin. Many people think grave sin is limited to the big things like murder and adultery. Those who think that are sorely wrong.

St. Paul gives a list of grave sins in Galatians 5:19-20. The following is from the "Douay-Rheims Bible":

Now the works of the flesh are manifest: which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, Idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, Envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.

Here is the same verses in the "Literal Translation of the Bible":

Now the works of the flesh are clearly revealed, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, fightings, jealousies, angers, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you beforehand, as I also said before, that the ones practicing such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

A more modern language version may help to identify these sins more. Here is the "Contemporary English Version":

People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

This to compile the identification of sins together mentioned by St. Paul, the following are, or can be, grave sins:

• fornication
• adultery
• immodesty
• lust
• idolatry
• witchcraft and sorcery
• hating others
• jealousy
• envy
• rivalry
• argumentativeness and causing trouble
• causing division and discord
• anger
• murder (which includes calumny, detraction, rash judgment)
• heresy and heterodoxy
• drunkenness
• parties of drunkenness and lustfulness

This list is not exhaustive but it does give a wide range of sins that are grave. Gossip, calumny, detraction, and rash judgment are also grave sins (and are a form of murder -- of one's reputation). Few people successfully avoid rash judgment. Idolatry is putting something above God like sports, money, fashion, health, exercise, etc.

The verses just before this section state (Gal 5:14-15):

Add to the list uncharity.

Not celebrating Sunday Mass is also a grave sin, an employer paying employees too low a wages can be a grave sin. Landlords who are "slum lords" may be committing grave sin. Anywhere in the Catechism where you see the terms "serious" or "grave" sin or matter that is a grave sin that we need to confess if we do it.

I suppose some people can avoid all this (and more) and only need to Confess three times a year or once a year.

They are better Christians than I am.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary