Absolution for a Sin You Will Commit Again
A student asked me an interesting question recently:Can you go to confession if you lot are non sorry for your sins? What if y'all know you lot will commit that sin again? Should you lot still become?
In that location is a lot wrapped upward in this simple question. Then let'south break it downwardly.
Matter Matters
Like all sacraments, confession is a means by which God transmits His grace into our lives through something tangible and physical. Each sacrament has its proper matter, which is necessary for the validity of that sacrament. For baptism, information technology is water. For the Eucharist, it is bread and vino. For confirmation, information technology is oil. Sometimes we ourselves are the matter for the sacrament, as in marriage and holy orders.
The proper thing for the sacrament of penance is apenitent; that is, someone who is repenting of their sins. Repentance entails a genuine sorrow for i'south sins; what we callcontrition. The Catechism defines contrition as "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin once more" (CCC 1451).
Find the ii parts of that definition.
- You have to be lamentable for your sin.
- Y'all have to resolve non to sin again.
For nigh of the states, this seems like a pretty loftier bar. But a besides strict agreement of what contrition requires can keep us away from confession, depriving us of the grace nosotros need to assistance overcome the sins we struggle with. And so permit's look at these two parts in more detail.
Sorrow for Sin
In discussing contrition, the Catechism makes a further distinction betweenperfect andimperfect contrition. Information technology says that perfect contrition "arises from a love past which God is loved above all else" (CCC 1452). Imperfect contrition is called, "a souvenir of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is built-in of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner… Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior procedure which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution" (CCC 1453).
In other words,perfect contrition means that, motivated by the pure love of God, you are as pitiful for your sins as you can be.Imperfect contrition, on the other hand, recognizes that you can still exist at least somewhat distressing for your sins, even if that sorrow is not perfect. Perhaps it is motivated by fear or guilt. Or it may exist motivated past an intellectual understanding that your sin is wrong, fifty-fifty if you don't quite grasp information technology in your heart withal.
What this ways is that fifty-fifty if your level of contrition is less than perfect, you lot can notwithstanding detect God's forgiveness and mercy in the sacrament of penance. Think about it. The God who humbled Himself to exist born of a virgin and go man, who would so suffer and die for our sins, is all almostmeeting us where nosotros are. Whatever level of contrition you have, He volition see you there. He can use it to effect truthful spiritual healing. Yous merely accept to havesome corporeality of contrition to open up the door to His mercy.
The parable of the Dissipated Son is a good example (Lk xv:eleven-32). The son in the story repents of wasting his male parent's inheritance. He is motivated by the fact that he is sleeping in a hog sty and eating the pigs' food. He decides to go back and enquire his father to rent him as a retainer. He's motivated by his own well-existence more than pure love for his father. But as soon equally the father sees the son approaching, he runs to meet him, embraces him, places a ring on his finger, and welcomes him back equally a total son. This is the kind of welcome our heavenly Begetter wants to give us in the confessional, even if our sorrow is less than complete.
Never Sin Again?
But what about the second part, the resolution to not sin over again? For nearly of us, this seems unrealistic. We are sinners. Nosotros are not perfect. We know, if we are honest with ourselves, that nosotros are very likely to sin again. So does this recognition of our own weakness mean we tin't ever go to confession or be forgiven by God? Not at all.
Never sinning again in the future is not a condition of receiving God'due south forgiveness now. Nor is the penitent required to promise never to sin again, every bit this would be unrealistic. What is required is theresolution to not sin once more. This means that, at least in that moment of repentance, you don't want to sin any more. One tin accept the desire to non sin, even while knowing the risk of sinning over again is real.
We are fallen creatures, subject field to temptation. Sin can get habitual, and habits can be hard to break. Sure sins can exist addictive, making them fifty-fifty more than difficult to overcome.We demand God's grace to complimentary us from sin. If nosotros wait to repent until we have totally conquered sin on our own, we'll be waiting for our entire lives. And and then it will be too late.
If you accept no intention at all of giving upwardly your sin, then no — your confession won't exist valid. Yous can't confess on Sunday a sin you committed on Sabbatum if you have plans to commit that same sin once more on Mon.
But that's unlike than recognizing that you all the same struggle with that sin. You can confess on Dominicus a sin you committed on Saturday, knowing it'south very likely you may commit it again on Mon, if you sincerely want God'southward assist in freeing y'all from the desire for that sin.
A priest told me once never to despair of struggling with sin. Struggling with sin is a good matter. It means yous are fighting it. Information technology's when you lot stop struggling that you should kickoff to worry, because that usually means yous've given up.
Just Go!
So what's the answer to the question? It depends. If you really are not distressing at all, and have no intention to stop sinning, then no, you are not able to make a valid confession at that point, because you accept not repented at all.
Just the fact that you lot are asking yourself,should I become to confession? indicates at least a certain agreement that you have done something wrong and that repentance is needed. And that may very well be enough to begin the process of genuine conversion. God is a God of miracles and of mercy. He can work with imperfect contrition. He volition meet you where you are in your process of repentance, and He will draw you to Himself.
So if y'all are thinking about going to confession at all, but go! Don't deprive yourself of the grace and mercy God offers through this sacrament of conversion.
Source: http://wcucatholic.org/can-go-confession-not-sorry/
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