| I am a practising Catholic and have received all the sacraments of the church. I however do not fulfil the sacrament of reconciliation due to fear. I know this is a sin (not to go for confession). How do I overcome this fear and return to all sacraments? |
| | Thank you for your question to which I try to reply. From your message I understand that you are a practising catholic and familiar with receiving all the sacraments of the Catholic Church, but one, the sacrament of reconciliation.
I fully agree with you that it is not always easy to go to the confessional box and receive this sacrament. When I go to receive this sacrament I have to tell the minister what is negative in my life. I am sure that you agree with me that nobody finds it easy to reveal to another person the dark side of his life. It is very human to be shy, and ashamed of our sins. St. Augustine speaks of “Rubrum paccatis” that is the “Blushing of sin”. This is already a penance and repentance. Among all the seven sacraments this is the only sacrament where your psychology is fully involved. Therefore we fear and are scared about what we are going to reveal to the priest. To overcome this fear you should find a minister you trust and have confidence in. The best way to help yourself, in my opinion, is to go and have a good sharing with a priest of your choice telling him the reasons of your problem. To respect the privacy of the penitent, mother church foresees two ways to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. One face to face with the confessor and the other one behind the grate. You can choose either of them at your convenience.
You have to keep in mind that confession is a sacrament. I mean, it is a sign of God’s grace poured out in your heart, through the minister of the church. Jesus gave his church, his bride, the mandate to forgive sins. Confession is the celebration of the joy of God shared with the repentant sinner.
The Canon Law at No. 988 states: “Each of Christ’s faithful is bound to confess, in kind and number, all grave sins committed after baptism, of which after careful examination of conscience he or she is aware, which have not yet been directly pardoned by the keys of the church, and which have not been confessed in an individual confession. It is recommended that Christ’s faithful confess venial sins also”.
The Canon Law at No. 989 states: “All the faithful who have reached the age of discretion are bound faithfully to confess their grave sins at least once a year”.
May God bless you and your family.
Fr. Eugene Ferrari
|
 |
| Why is the Eucharist so important to Catholics? |
|
| What actually happens during the Eucharist? |
|
| What are the main symbols used during the Eucharist? |
|
| Can God still in today's world full of lawlessness and all human weakness intervene? Is this not the same God who spoke through the apostles ,the prophets and great saints in history,can he not understand our human existence? |
|
| Why do Catholics celebrate the Eucharist? |
|
| Is there a minimal age for one to become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion? What other criteria is there? |
|
| Why do Catholics have a Saturday night Mass? |
|
| Is there a Christian community I can join to strenghten my Christian walk? |
|
| Is it biblical to venerate Mother Mary and why does the Catholic church emphasise on this more than the Protestant churches. Are we worshiping Mary and why do we present our petitions through her when the Bible says that Jesus is our High priest..... |
|
| Is it wrong to carry the Blessed Sacrament from the church? |
|
| Do you need to be baptised to receive communion during Mass? |
|
| What other things will I need to do – to be baptised? |
|
| How does the learning process begin….and end? (Becoming a Catholic) |
|
| How do I find out some basic information? (Becoming a Catholic) |
|
| How do I get started? (Becoming a Catholic) |
|
| What does the Catholic Church claim to be? |
|
| What steps do I need to make to become a Catholic? |
|
| Q. How did the first Christians live Unity? |
|
| Q. Who Can Receive Communion? Receiving Communion or not? |
|
| Q. Is there a structure or program followed during the Mass? |
|
| Q. So it sounds as if the Church can't do without the Mass? |
|
| Q. It does seem a wonderful gift. Is it given only for ourselves? |
|
| Q. So at Mass we offer ourselves to God – don’t we receive anything back? |
|
| Q. You said the Last Supper took place just before Jesus died – Why is that significant? |
|
| Q. Who invented the Mass? |
|
| Q. What makes the Mass so important? (What Happens at Mass?) |
|
