sacrilegious confession

[Miriam_M]

What is needed in our confessions is true contrition.  Sorrow is the single most important factor in the sacrament.

While not perfect, is not a selfish desire to avoid the hell good enough to get the absolution without any pious sorrow feelings? Many people who's lives are mess up beyond believe, with deep psychological issues, unstable emotionally just cannot extract that "nice" and "polite" attitude from themselves yet being aware of their sins just want some good to come out. This is the best they can "afford" if you will.

I do not believe I said perfect contrition.  Perfect contrition is somewhat rare, and priests tell us not to count on perfect contrition for unconfessed mortal sins.  Yes, of course imperfect contrition (fear of the loss of Heaven) is canonically sufficient to receive absolution.  There are three different categories that are being mixed up here by participants.  Be careful of misquoting people.

We have...
1. Contrition vs. the absence of contrition.  A minimum amount of contrition is necessary for the efficacy of the sacrament.

2. Imperfect contrition vs. perfect contrition (a different category that was just brought up by Andy):  That refers to the reasons for regretting a sin

3. Depth of sorrow for one or more particular sins: As a spiritual matter rather than a canonical one (which is the forgiveness of sin), the deeper our sorrow, the deeper the graces, the more effective our reparation that we accept as punishment for our sins, etc. Deep sorrow is not essential for the sacrament to be effective, but it is brings with it proportionally more graces.  The truth is that it is possible to pray for the gift of true compunction (painful sorrow), since we don't always experience that naturally.

True contrition (meaning, just basic purpose of amendment: "I would like not to commit this sin any more, I'm sorry that I did, and I seek grace to persevere in my purpose of amendment."

That ^ is what is meant by "true sorrow."  It's genuine; it's sincere.

True contrition combines humility (self-accusation) with faith: "Lord, I believe that You can help me conquer this persistent sin." 

A lack of contrition would be resignation or despair:  "I cannot stop committing Sin X; I don't really believe that God can help me stop.  However, I know I 'have to' go to Confession, so I will go through the motions now." 

The efficacy of our prayers and our reception of sacraments always depends partly on the degree of faith we have in God's infinite power to heal us.

[Justin Martyr]

It is still unwise to make statements like that. Because if OP gets an absolution next time, you will experience that weird aftertaste of bad prediction and will have to defend your position even more. It is like cutting a branch you seat on.

Huh? I'm not even sure what you're talking about anymore.

I'm encouraging him to get rid of his current mindset towards habitual sin by sharing what helped me when I had a similar problem. Do you think a penitent with no purpose of amendment should still receive absolution?

I like your new PFP.

[Xavier]

Now, I know that there are 3 things necessary for it to be a mortal sin. My dilemma is if I sin, and there is no confessions until the end of the week, I end up committing more of the same mortal sin, believing that if i get it out of my system, and truly confess my sins with perfect contrition, then all will be forgiven.

Hi Idipsum. No, we should NEVER EVER do this. Each Mortal sin is like Crucifying/Killing Jesus Christ and or piercing His Mother's Heart. Thinking of that, we should never sin a second time mortally, even if we have a first. What we should do is kiss a Crucifix, say sorry to the Lord, pray some Rosaries, and then strive not to sin again mortally, even before Confession.

And we should also remember (1) ancient Church Canons placed about 10 years of Penance for a single mortal sin, AFTER CONFESSION, (2) it is likely a similar time in Purgatory will have to be spent for every forgiven mortal sin for which sufficient Penance was not done, and finally (3) that if we sin more often, it will be harder and harder and harder to finally overcome it.

God Bless you in your struggle: please make this Great Double Novena if you can (9 First Friday and First Saturday Holy Communions together, after Confession) for which one of the Promises is the grace never to sin gravely/mortally again, and recover and be restored to the innocence of your Baptism: "11. The sinners will not fall back into their previous state. They will not only receive forgiveness for their sins, but also a perfect contrition and, through love, they will recover the innocence of their Baptism. 12. Those who make this Novena in the innocence of their Baptism (particularly the the children) will not offend My Heart by a grave fault until the time of their death. 13. The sinners who sincerely repent will not only escape hell but also purgatory. 14. The lukewarm will become fervent believers; they will perservere and reach perfection and saintliness in no time.
" Taken from: https://sites.google.com/site/doublegreatnovena/the-33-promises

[james03]

As I did not know this was a sin of sacrilege, did I commit a mortal sin, and where do i go from here?

Go to confession.  Confess that once you committed one mortal sin, you knew you were going to confession so willfully committed more.  I'm assuming you feel contrition for this.  Get absolved and knock off doing this in the future.

[Xavier]

Yes, and also, dear friend, recite your Act of Contrition, kneeling and kissing your Crucifix, as soon as you can if you fall into sin. As many Catholic writers say, kissing the Crucifix and meditating on Christ Crucified will often give us graces like contrition.

"Very often, a few words suffice to express the most ardent love and the most profound sorrow -for instance, the little ejaculations, 'My Jesus, mercy,' 'My God and my All,' 'My God, I love Thee above all things,' 'My God, have mercy on me, a poor sinner.' Aided by the grace of God (and God has promised to give to all who ask), it is by no means difficult to make an Act of Contrition. Take the case of David, who for one curious look fell into the sin of adultery, and then of murder. Having committed these sins, he lived on quite unconcerned about the state of his soul till the prophet Nathan came to reprove him. And this reproach induced David to make an act of Perfect Contrition in a few words, 'Pec- cavi Domino' ('I have sinned against the Lord'). So efficacious was his contrition that the prophet, inspired by God, exclaimed, 'The Lord has forgiven you.'

Take, again, the case of Mary Magdalen?'a public sinner. She did not even say one word, but simply wept at the Feet of Jesus. Jesus saw the sorrow in her heart, and, turning to her, said: 'Woman! because thou hast loved much thy sins are forgiven thee.' See, then, how little is needed-only to love God above everything. And love demands neither time nor trouble; it suffices to think of Jesus crucified, for it is impossible then not to love Him, and to be sorry for the sins by which we have crucified Him.

Remember the good thief -a robber condemned to death-and yet for those few words spoken from his heart, 'Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom,' he was immediately promised Heaven by Christ Himself: 'Today, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.'

Lastly, look at St. Peter, who denied his Master three times. Jesus looked at him; Peter said not a single word, but, 'going out, wept bitterly.' He was forgiven; he was chosen by Christ to be His first successor on earth-the Prince of the Apostles- and to-day is one of the most glorious saints in Heaven.

Dear readers, should we ever have the misfortune to offend God, let us give a look at the tabernacle where Jesus is palpitating with love for us, or let us think of Calvary. Our hearts will be touched. We will repent. We shall be forgiven and saved."

From: https://www.ecatholic2000.com/cts/untitled-110.shtml

[Xavier]

Above link, continued:

"Again, the practice of making frequent Acts of Contrition is most advantageous for one who habitually lives in the state of grace. Apart from a special revelation from God, we cannot know for certain whether we are in His friendship or not; but every Act of Contrition lessens our anxiety on this point. Again, it often happens that we are in doubt as to whether we have given consent to a temptation or not. What are we to do? Examine our conscience? This is useless, for it will only bring back the temptation again, especially if against holy purity; and, moreover, we will never decide whether we have consented or not. No; make an Act of Perfect Contrition, as St. Francis de Sales was accustomed to do, and worry no more. And even if it were revealed to us that we are in the state of grace, Perfect Contrition would still be most advisable. Every act increases sanctifying grace in our souls, one degree of which is worth more than all the riches of this world. Each act cancels any venial sins that stain our souls, which, in consequence, increase in fervour and sanctity. Each act of perfect love remits some of our purgatory. Whatdid Our Divine Saviour say to Mary Magdalen? 'Because thou hast loved much, much is forgiven thee.' If, in order to lessen our purgatory, we gain Indulgences, do good works, give alms, then the perfect love of God, which is the queen of virtues, merits the very first place among all the virtuous acts we perform.

Finally, every Act of Contrition strengthens our souls, and so increases our confidence of obtaining that greatest of all graces-the grace of final perseverance. What accumulation of graces does not this practice of frequent acts of Perfect Contrition obtain for us

At the Moment of Death

But, if this practice is so important during life, it reaches the height of its importance at the moment of death, especially when death comes too suddenly to call the priest. Take the case when, some years ago, a fire broke out in a large tenement house and many were cut off from escape by the flames. Among these was a boy of twelve years, who, falling on his knees, loudly recited an Act of Contrition, and invited all to join with him. How many, perhaps, of those unfortunate victims owe their eternal salvation to that boy? Now, dangers surround us every day. You or I, which God forbid, may one day be the victim of an accident-a kicking or bolting horse, a motor-car out of control, a slip on a stairs, a fall off a tram or train, a falling tree-there are a thousand and one ways by which death may come suddenly. A stroke may come when we are at our work or at our meals-suddenly, when least expected. Someone may run for a priest, but he may not arrive in time. What are you to do ? Immediately make an act of Perfect Contrition. Don't wait to see if the priest will arrive in time, but immediately repent for having offended and crucified so good a God. You will be saved. Perfect Contrition will be for you the Golden Key of Paradise.

But do not delude yourself with the thought that you will put off your repentance till the moment of death, and that then you will make an act of Perfect Contrition. Perfect Contrition is a grace given only to those of good will, and if anyone were to abandon himself to a life of sin with the hope of a death-bed repentance, he would find himself face to face with a Judge Who will say, 'You will seek Me, but you will die in your sins.'

Will I have sufficient time in case of a sudden death to make an Act of Contrition? With the grace of God, yes. It requires very little time, especially if during life you have made a practice of exciting yourself frequently; it is not necessary to say even one word. Besides, when death is imminent, instants seem like hours. The mind is very active, and, added to this, Almighty God will be most lavish with His graces at that supreme moment.

What irreparable evils are caused through ignorance at the time of an accident! People rush from every side to render assistance. Some begin to cry; everyone loses his head; one rushes for a doctor, perhaps another for a priest; someone calls for water and begins to apply first-aid remedies-and all the time the unfortunate victim is dying. No one has compassion on his soul-no one suggests an Act of Contrition. Should you ever be present at an accident, run quickly but calmly to the victim, give him a crucifix to kiss if you have one, and then slowly and clearly ask him to repeat with his heart what you are about to say. Then slowly and distinctly repeat an Act of Contrition, even though the dying man may not seem to hear or understand you. A soul that you may save in this way will be your crown in Heaven.

Do you know, dear reader, who will most naturally make an Act of Contrition when necessity arises ? He, of course, who was most accustomed to make one every day, in every danger, after every sin, only such a one, when the occasion arises, will know how to manage quickly and swiftly the Golden Key of Paradise.

[EastWest7]

where do i go from here?

Internalize the words of Fr.Ripperger: "sin darkens the intellect" aka it makes you stupid.

St Paul discussed this in Ephesians 4:17-18. My dogmatic theology professor at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, Fr Thomas Hopko used to reference this Ephesians quote and would say how sin makes us stupid.

[andy]

I struggle with temptations, and i can go weeks without issue but there are times where i fall into mortal sin. I always go to confession and always sorry for my sins, and I make a firm resolution to never sin again.

Do you think a penitent with no purpose of amendment should still receive absolution?

Why do you doubt OP and say "with no purpose of amendment should still receive absolution" in this case? How long it takes for you to fall into the same sin again after making your own resolution?

[Lavenderson]

Why do you doubt OP and say "with no purpose of amendment should still receive absolution" in this case? How long it takes for you to fall into the same sin again after making your own resolution?

It is reasonable to doubt someone has a genuine purpose of amendment if, when they fall into sin, they think "since I sinned once, I will sin more and just confess later." This detail ought to be disclosed to a priest during confession, as was already mentioned, since this makes his sin much worse.

You do not understand my position. It is not about how long OP can last without commiting the same sin, it is about OP's mindset towards this habitual sin. Our Lord is not a washing machine, He is a Person.

Again, imagine your wife cheats on you once, but before confessing to you and asking for forgiveness, she decides to cheat with the whole neighborhood in order to "get it out of her system" before coming back to you. Would you call that a firm purpose of amendment?

I'm not attempting to judge OP's internal affairs, this is literally what OP said. He (or she) must change this mindset if they want their purpose of amendment to be genuine.

[andy]

Again, imagine your wife cheats on you once, but before confessing to you and asking for forgiveness, she decides to cheat with the whole neighborhood in order to "get it out of her system" before coming back to you. Would you call that a firm purpose of amendment?

How dare you!

[Elizabeth]

This proves Lavenderson's example.  (he meant nothing personal about anyone's wife, but the to show the horror of Mortal Sin and how profoundly stupid it makes us.)

[andy]

This proves Lavenderson's example.  (he meant nothing personal about anyone's wife, but the to show the horror of Mortal Sin and how profoundly stupid it makes us.)

Not really. It just proves his arrogance.

[james03]

Here's what we have, everything else is speculation:

I always go to confession and always sorry for my sins, and I make a firm resolution to never sin again.

....

I just sat there, with a cold feeling running through me, never did I have the intention or knowledge that what I have done, is considered a sacrilege.

I have heard of people, that sin, and just think that they can go to confession but are never truly sorry and will sin again at the earliest opportunity but I always have sorrow for my sins, I detest them and never want to do them again but I am weak.

When the time came for Holy Communion, I just knelt in my pew. I had a desire to receive but I could not approach the Blessed Sacrament, all I could think about is, what have I done.

I left after Mass and had a sombre drive home.

As I did not know this was a sin of sacrilege, did I commit a mortal sin, and where do i go from here?

Don't be a stumbling block for a brother Catholic to go to confession and don't tempt him with scruples.

[Melkor]

Here's what we have, everything else is speculation:

I always go to confession and always sorry for my sins, and I make a firm resolution to never sin again.

....

I just sat there, with a cold feeling running through me, never did I have the intention or knowledge that what I have done, is considered a sacrilege.

I have heard of people, that sin, and just think that they can go to confession but are never truly sorry and will sin again at the earliest opportunity but I always have sorrow for my sins, I detest them and never want to do them again but I am weak.

When the time came for Holy Communion, I just knelt in my pew. I had a desire to receive but I could not approach the Blessed Sacrament, all I could think about is, what have I done.

I left after Mass and had a sombre drive home.

As I did not know this was a sin of sacrilege, did I commit a mortal sin, and where do i go from here?

Don't be a stumbling block for a brother Catholic to go to confession and don't tempt him with scruples.

Based on this alone I think that OP was fine to go to Communion, no? Or am I wrong? One thing I know is that the devil will try very hard to make you have scruples and doubt the validity of your Confession before you receive Holy Communion.

[Jmartyr]

I know he asked for advice, but we are "a bunch of idiots on keyboards" as Quis always said on the other forum. Let him see a priest to sort this out.