Why Confess Your Sins to a Priest (Part 2) | Made for Glory

The Sacrament of Confession is scriptural. When we confess our sins to a priest, we are obeying Christ and how He envisioned us relieving the burden of our transgressions. If we are a follower of Christ we do what He asks us to do!

Chris gives us four main reasons to go to Confession. Some of the reasons he suggests are ones that are not typically mentioned : psychological health, going straight to God instead of relying on ourselves , making sure our serious, mortal sins are forgiven and healing our community through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There is so much packed into this short video you may have to watch it several times to catch it all.

Make sure you're taking notes!

Key Takeaways

• The devil is a liar. His desire is that our sins would fester in our heart, harming us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. When you confess your sins, you are removing their power over you.
• When you go to Confession you are going straight to Christ himself. The priest is "In personaChristi", in English, " In the person of Christ". Professing your sins to Christ is preferable to saying them to yourself in your room.
• Mortal sin breaks the friendship we have with God. If we desire to restore this relationship we must seek absolution from a priest. We can be sure of this healing when we hear the words the priest speaks during the sacrament.
• The only way to heal the damage we have done to the community when we sin is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
• My relationship with God does not depend on my perfect love for Him but on His perfect love for me.

Questions for Reflection

1. Were any of the reasons Chris mentioned for going to Confession new to you?
2. What do you think about the words the priest speaks to you in the sacrament? Did this video give you a greater appreciation of what is said in Confession?
3. What do you think of the concept that Christ died to give us grace and mercy? Do you think of that reality in relationship to the Sacrament of Confession?

Joseph Pronechen collects stories about several people who returned to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after being away for many years. Beautiful testimonies! There is so much joy in their return to God.

Looking for a different way to examine your conscience? Using the Beatitudes is a wonderful tool to see how we are not living up to the Lord's standards. "Am I gentle with others or am I harsh?" "Do I truly yearn for God's Will to be done, in my life and in all things?" " Do I love purity and honesty?" These probing questions and more are in this beautiful examination.

Fr. Mike opens with the scripture passage from 1 John 5: 16-17. "There is such a thing as deadly sin", writes John.

There are 3 stipulations for a sin to be mortal:

1. The offense must be serious
2. You must know it's serious
3. You must give full consent to committing the offense

All sin is wrongdoing and an offense against God. Venial sins harm our relationship with God, but mortal sin breaks our communion with Him. This is true in all relationships. Some offenses will weaken our friendship, but some will cause irreparable damage. We should strive to not offend anyone we're in a relationship with, particularly our Lord.

The wonderful gift is that grace is always available to us. God desires to restore our relationship with Him. No one is beyond the reach of God's grace. It's time to be forgiven.

Key Takeaways

There is a difference between mortal and venial sin.

• There is a difference between venial and mortal sin.
• Mortal sin is a grave action, committed in full knowledge of its gravity and with full consent.
• Venial sin weakens us to the point where it makes committing a mortal sin easier.
• Confession is the Sacrament of Mercy.
• Sin is a wound in our relationship with God and others.
• Grace is always available to us

Questions for Reflection

1. Are you sensitive to the difference between a mortal and venial sin and realize when you have committed one or the other?
2. Do you try to avoid venial sins and confess them regularly to avoid falling into more serious sin?
3. Do you think it's important to examine yourself daily to see a pattern of behaviors which may be sinful or ways where you have failed to love God and others?

Fr Mark-Mary walks you through the Ten Commandments in a way which enables you to go deeper into your examination before going to Confession. The questions he asks are helpful to anyone who desires to more thoroughly prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Confession: paragraphs 1420-1498