When was Your Last Confession?
When was
Pope Francis, “Do NOT be afraid of
Confession!”
How Long has it Been?
Much has been written
about the sacrament of reconciliation: The
theology behind it, the scriptural evidence for it, and the power and benefits
of it for penitents. If Catholicism is
true & you are a sinner, we must come to grips with just how important The
Sacrament of Reconciliation really is.
Which category would best
describe you:
1. I have never gone to the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
2. I have not gone to Confession in years.
3. I should go to Confession more often.
4. I go to Confession frequently.
A Holy Visit
On May 14, 1917
the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children at Fatima, Portugal. She stressed the importance of daily prayer, especially
The Rosary, for the conversion of sinners.
Mary would instruct the children to pray specifically, giving the three
children five new prayers. It was not by
accident we were told to pray, at the end of each decade of the Rosary, “Oh my
Jesus, forgive us of our sins, lead ALL souls to heaven, especially those most
in need of thy mercy.”
By far, the vast
majority of Christians have never experienced the grace provided by subjecting
themselves to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Most in this category are probably of a Protestant faith. And, many baptized Catholics have not been to
Confession in years. Today, we will take
a closer look at just how powerful The Sacrament of Confession really is and
provide scriptural evidence why Jesus instituted a fool-proof way to know your
sins have been forgiven, when making a good confession. The conclusion will emerge crystal clear, “if
you haven't been to confession in a very long time, RUN THERE!”
Why did Jesus do that?
John
20:21-23 “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send
you. And when He said this, He breathed
on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they have been
retained.”
Are you someone
who believes the Holy Bible is true?
Many Christians take this question very personal. Not only would they answer, “Yes the Bible is
true!” They would add, “I believe every word of it to be the Holy Spirit
inspired word of God.”
I too agree! Holy Scripture is the absolute word of
God. It is a “road map” to living a holy
life. No Christian would argue God's
desire for each and every soul is to live a holy life. We all know the task of living a holy life
seems impossible. Yet, we would all
agree with the earliest definition regarding the purpose of mankind, as stated
in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The purpose of mankind is to know,
love and serve God.”
Let's recap:
1. The Bible is the written Word of God, inspired
by the Holy Spirit.
2. The purpose of mankind is to know, love and
serve God.
3. God desires we live a holy life.
What about this
idea given to us by God in Holy Scripture, that Jesus gave the power to forgive
sins to His disciples? Why did He do
that? Was this power given to only His
disciples? In other words, when the last
disciple died, did this end the gift of forgiveness given to The Church?
The Church? Which Church?
A question we should consider, “what does each of the now over
thirty-three thousand denominations teach about this Bible passage that so
clearly states Jesus gave someone the power to forgive sins?” Does it make sense that Jesus would give this
gift/power and then when the last disciple died, the gift/power would be lost
or taken away from His Church? If, as
many denominations teach, you only need ask Jesus for forgiveness is true, why
did Jesus start this method of forgiveness in the first place?
Who is right, or
which church is correct in their teaching of John 20:21-23 is, nevertheless, a
fair question. Can we just “take our
sins directly to Jesus” like all Protestant Churches teach or is the Catholic
Church right, utilizing the Confessional to grow in holiness?
A Masters Degree in Common Sense
When considering
which church has and teaches the fullness of truth on any given subject, it is
important we possess a sure-fired method, allowing us to drive down to the
whole truth. Every denomination teaches
at least some truth. However, if there
is one particular church that teaches the fullness of truth, it is best we
hitch our wagons to that church. Our
scripture in question is John 20:21-23 (Jesus giving power to forgive
sins). What does each church write about
this scripture? Have they dared make
commentary on this scripture at all? Who
wrote the commentary (yes, what's his name)?
Has this church changed its teaching on this verse at all over the
years? You are thinking, “this sounds
like a lot of work.” Yes, digging for
truth always takes some work. Most will
say, “I don't have the time or the desire to figure this out. I'll just trust my Pastor. After all, he is much more learned in
Christian principles than I am.” Which
Pastor are you going to trust? Are you
Protestant or Catholic becomes an extremely important question!
The “I'll just
trust the Pastor method” is by far the platform used most by the majority of
all Christians. When this method is
employed, you must consider how you can determine whether or not the Pastor is
worthy of that much trust. You must be
certain this Pastor has his arms wrapped around the fullness of truth. A sure-fired method of “thinning the
candidates” would be to start with four questions:
1.
Who started the church you are attending?
2.
When was this church denomination started?
3.
Why did this individual start this new denomination?
4.
Was the man who started your denomination a member of a different denomination before he “felt led” to start a
new one?
Let's begin to
apply our Masters Degree in common sense.
Are you aware of the bold claim by The Catholic Church? The Catholic Church states God Himself,
through His Son, Jesus Christ, started the Catholic Church. Historically, The Catholic Church can prove
this claim by what is called Apostolic Succession. Taking this objective truth into
consideration, what does the Catholic Church teach about Jesus giving His
Church the power to forgive sins?
The Catholic
Church uses scripture, John 20:21-23, to substantiate the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. For those of us old
enough, this Sacrament is simply called Confession. Did you know only the Roman Catholic Church
and Eastern Orthodox Church agree the Sacrament of Reconciliation, instituted
by Christ, is necessary for the forgiveness of mortal sin? No other denomination agrees with the
Catholic position of Sacramental Confession.
What is a Sacrament?
A Sacrament, as
defined by The Catholic Church, is a visible sign of an inward grace. All Sacraments have been instituted by
Christ. The Catholic Church claims they
alone not only hold the fullness of truth but also define all spiritual
truth. What if the teaching of the Catholic
Church is true? Remember our sure-fired
method of how we are to get to the bottom of differing opinions. Who started what Church is the best place to
start. You see, The Catholic Church
claim of they alone hold and define the fullness of truth is one hundred
percent spot on! One only needs to refer
to history. Cardinal Newman's words
still echo true today, “to be steeped in history is to cease to be Protestant.”
If engaging in
the Sacraments are the “lamps along the way of salvation,” how often should we
utilize the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
What is to become of us if we don't take advantage of the Confessional? What if we haven't been to Confession in
years? All fair questions that only each
individual can answer. If you are
reading this and haven't been to Confession in years, it is always the voice of
the Holy Spirit encouraging you to attend as soon as possible!
If you are
someone who hasn't been to Confession in years, let's fix that. More importantly, let's prove the
unmistakable, life-changing, life-giving, pure genius of the Catholic Church. We'll start with the objective truth that Jesus
gave His Church, only His Church, the power to forgive sins and that power is
still available today. Praise God for
the office of Priesthood. They have been
given a gift that is, honestly, beyond simple understanding.
Everything is Going to be OK
To quote a
wonderful, Holy Spirit inspired homily, “If you have Jesus, everything is going
to be ok.” Let's each take a very simple
Christian Litmus Test. Which statement
could be said about you? Your choices
are:
1.
Smile, if you know you are in a state of grace. Or,
2.
I am not sure. I still experience
“an empty feeling” deep within me.
It is extremely
important to know, as St. Augustine said, “there is no rest until you rest in
Christ.” That is the magnificence of the
Confessional. Listen to the words of
Jesus Himself, as stated because of what He told His disciples in John, Chapter
20. The Priest, in the person of Jesus
Himself concludes each confession with these words, “God The Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to
Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church,
may God grant you pardon and peace. And
I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Through the
ministry of the Church? Now you can see why we asked the earlier
question, “which church teaches the fullness of truth?” The Sacrament of Reconciliation has been a
part of the Catholic Church for two thousand years. Our Masters Degree in common sense is
beginning to take shape, as there is no other church, not one, who teach the
necessity of confessing your sins to a Priest.
Dare to be Catholic, as there is no better place to be, no better place
to learn...living Catholic is to live truth!
The prayer of
absolution, without question, is one of the most important, the most powerful,
the most Holy Spirit inspired prayer a Priest can pray. It is The Church exercising the gift of forgiveness
given by Jesus Himself. Hearkening back
to John 20, “whose sins you forgive are forgiven,” the Holy Scripture has more
to say about the magnificence of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “As far as the East is from the West, I will
remember your sins no more.” “Though your
sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.” The Psalms say countless times, “His mercy
endures forever.” We only need apply
ourselves. Jesus is all about mercy and it
is through the Sacraments that mercy and grace are provided, especially the
Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Remember This
Above all,
remember this, Jesus doesn't care where you have been; he cares where you are
going. Amazingly, when you walk away
from the Confessional, you walk away a Saint, full of holiness and virtue. Virtue is a fancy church term that means
moral excellence. This, in a nut-shell,
is what extraordinary power the Confessional provides.
Let's keep it
simple. If Catholicism is true, through
the sacraments of the Catholic Church, it is the surest and best means of
salvation. The Confessional not only keeps
you right with God, it is the single greatest therapy given by God to mankind
for peace of mind, and it does not cost one penny.
If you want to
enjoy peace of mind, if you want to get that unwanted weight of the world off
your shoulders, if you desire to stand before God and hear “well done thou good
and faithful servant,” don't just go to confession, RUN TO CONFESSION! Why?
Because scripture so clearly states, “when one sinner repents, all of
heaven rejoices!” Simply put, there is
no greater service you can do for yourself than to go to confession.
Putting the Catholic
Church into proper perspective and keeping it simple, consider the “tool box”
the church offers, ensuring our pilgrimage toward eternity is fully lit. The Catholic Church offers outward signs,
Sacraments, that no other church offers.
You could say the Church offers a fully loaded arsenal against the
ever-advancing enemy of our souls.
Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, and The Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass are all designed for our salvation.
There is no better place
you could be than to be fully engaged in the only Church Jesus started: The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church. It all makes sense when the
Priest, on Ash Wednesday, says, “REPENT & believe in the Gospel.”