"The usual snare with which the devil catches the young is to fill them with shame when they are about to confess their sins. When he pushes them to commit sins, he removes all shame, as if there were nothing wrong with it, but when they are going to confession, he returns that shame magnified and tries to convince them that the priest will be shocked by their sins and will no longer think well of them. Thus the devil tries to drive souls to the brink of eternal damnation. Oh, how many lads does Satan steal from God- sometimes forever- by this trick."
St. John Bosco
#johnbosco #quote #confession
St. John Bosco
#johnbosco #quote #confession
1_5152485567077810812-1(1).pdf
532.1 KB
Examination of conscience questions. For daily use and before confession.
#spirituallife #confession #conscience #examination
#spirituallife #confession #conscience #examination
Theory and Practice of the Confessional
by Prof. Caspar E. Schieler, D.D.
But there is an obligation to avoid putting off for a long time one's conversion, and hence an act of perfect contrition after mortal sin, because a man in the state of mortal sin is in the greatest danger of falling into other mortal sins, since he has not strength enough to vanquish severe temptations and to withstand the violence of his passions, and since, as St. Gregory the Great says, the unrepented mortal sins which burden his soul draw him by their weight into other worse sins.
"Without sanctifying grace it is not possible to refrain long from mortal sin," says St. Thomas; the sinner might, if he wished, have the necessary moral strength to overcome temptation and to resist his passions; he might curb them by the divine power of grace; but there is the law of the distribution of God's graces, that God gives only to those who love Him efficacious grace, and while a man persists of his own free will in the state of sin and enmity with God, he equivalently expresses his contempt of grace and so makes himself unworthy of it. As God is ever pouring richer and richer graces on those who make good use of them and cooperate with them, so He withdraws them from those who neglect and resist them.
#confession #conversion #grace
by Prof. Caspar E. Schieler, D.D.
But there is an obligation to avoid putting off for a long time one's conversion, and hence an act of perfect contrition after mortal sin, because a man in the state of mortal sin is in the greatest danger of falling into other mortal sins, since he has not strength enough to vanquish severe temptations and to withstand the violence of his passions, and since, as St. Gregory the Great says, the unrepented mortal sins which burden his soul draw him by their weight into other worse sins.
"Without sanctifying grace it is not possible to refrain long from mortal sin," says St. Thomas; the sinner might, if he wished, have the necessary moral strength to overcome temptation and to resist his passions; he might curb them by the divine power of grace; but there is the law of the distribution of God's graces, that God gives only to those who love Him efficacious grace, and while a man persists of his own free will in the state of sin and enmity with God, he equivalently expresses his contempt of grace and so makes himself unworthy of it. As God is ever pouring richer and richer graces on those who make good use of them and cooperate with them, so He withdraws them from those who neglect and resist them.
#confession #conversion #grace
Conditions of Confession by Saint Thomas Aquinas
Good confession must be:
-vocal, which means spoken and not by signs of writing, unless there is a just cause.
-secret, as no one is obliged to publicly confess his sins or to use an interpreter.
-simple, that is free of every useless narration and only about one's own sins.
-humble
-pure, that is, with the intention of receiving absolution
-discreet, which means not to expose or make known any accomplice to the sin without necessity, especially using careful and appropriate words.
-strong and accusatory, that is without hesitation or vainglory.
When confessing one's sins, it is necessary to state the following:
-what sins the penitent has committed
-how often he has committed that sin
-all relevant circumstances that can increase the severity of the sin- for example, to scandalise one person or many
Whoever unintentionally forgets some mortal sin does not make a bad confession and is forgiven his sins, but he has the obligation to confess them in the next confession he makes.
Contrition, which occupies first place among the acts of the penitent, is sorrow of the soul and detestation of the sin commited with the intent to not sin in the future. Contrition is, therefore , repentance and the purpose of amendment.
Sorrow for sins is the detestation of evil for having offended God; we say that he has attrition when he repents moved by the exclusive fear of Hell.
Perfect contrition allows a penitent to go to Heaven without sacramental confession : attrition requires sacramental absolution of the priest to have the same effect.
Sacred Scripture requires the sinner to make penance for the sins he has committed.
The constant doctrine of the Church tells us that sorrow is of a spiritual nature, so that it generally transcends the capacity of the senses and is only certainly perceived by the faculties of intelligence and will. Hence, even while the sinner must be internally sorry for his sin in order to make a good confession, he does not always and necessarily, experience intense sorrow.
The penitent must not only have sorrow, but also detestation, because it is the hatred of the sin that produces the sorrow. There may, however, be detestation of sin without sorrow or pain, as it exists among the blessed.
For the validity of the sacrament at least an implicit purpose of amendment is necessary. This purpose is part of contrition.
The purpose of amendment must be:
-firm:the desire to firmly avoid sin henceforth ...a relapse in the future generally does not mean a lack of firmness at the moment of confession.
-effective: adopting the necessary means to avoid sin, avoiding as much as possible occasions of sin, repairing the damages caused to one's neighbor by the sin.
-universal: this is the intention to not commit any mortal sin.
#confession
Good confession must be:
-vocal, which means spoken and not by signs of writing, unless there is a just cause.
-secret, as no one is obliged to publicly confess his sins or to use an interpreter.
-simple, that is free of every useless narration and only about one's own sins.
-humble
-pure, that is, with the intention of receiving absolution
-discreet, which means not to expose or make known any accomplice to the sin without necessity, especially using careful and appropriate words.
-strong and accusatory, that is without hesitation or vainglory.
When confessing one's sins, it is necessary to state the following:
-what sins the penitent has committed
-how often he has committed that sin
-all relevant circumstances that can increase the severity of the sin- for example, to scandalise one person or many
Whoever unintentionally forgets some mortal sin does not make a bad confession and is forgiven his sins, but he has the obligation to confess them in the next confession he makes.
Contrition, which occupies first place among the acts of the penitent, is sorrow of the soul and detestation of the sin commited with the intent to not sin in the future. Contrition is, therefore , repentance and the purpose of amendment.
Sorrow for sins is the detestation of evil for having offended God; we say that he has attrition when he repents moved by the exclusive fear of Hell.
Perfect contrition allows a penitent to go to Heaven without sacramental confession : attrition requires sacramental absolution of the priest to have the same effect.
Sacred Scripture requires the sinner to make penance for the sins he has committed.
The constant doctrine of the Church tells us that sorrow is of a spiritual nature, so that it generally transcends the capacity of the senses and is only certainly perceived by the faculties of intelligence and will. Hence, even while the sinner must be internally sorry for his sin in order to make a good confession, he does not always and necessarily, experience intense sorrow.
The penitent must not only have sorrow, but also detestation, because it is the hatred of the sin that produces the sorrow. There may, however, be detestation of sin without sorrow or pain, as it exists among the blessed.
For the validity of the sacrament at least an implicit purpose of amendment is necessary. This purpose is part of contrition.
The purpose of amendment must be:
-firm:the desire to firmly avoid sin henceforth ...a relapse in the future generally does not mean a lack of firmness at the moment of confession.
-effective: adopting the necessary means to avoid sin, avoiding as much as possible occasions of sin, repairing the damages caused to one's neighbor by the sin.
-universal: this is the intention to not commit any mortal sin.
#confession
On the responsibility of confessors
St. Alphonsus Liguori
St. Pius V said: "Give us fit confessors and surely the whole of Christianity will be reformed."
He, who wishes to be a good confessor must, in the first place, consider that the office of a confessor is a very difficult and dangerous, and that on account of its difficulty and danger the Council of Trent has called it an office to be dreaded even by angels.
"It is extremely difficult to hear confessions. A priest will have to render an account to God for every confession he has heard. Without holiness and learning, the priest puts both his soul and the souls of his penitents in grave danger. Indeed, it would be better if such priest did not hear confessions at all."
The priest must be learned to hear confessions well- this applies especially to his role as a teacher. It will not be enough for one confessor to have simply a general knowledge of moral theology, rather he requires a good understanding of applied morals and of the cases discussed in the manuals. For a priest to hear confessions without having consulted the classical works of moral theology is an act of grave presumption- he risks not only his soul, but also souls of his penitents.
The confessor must be filled with charity, which means he must be holy. He is to receive all persons (both saints and sinners, the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor) with kindness to advise them without fear or concern for personal gain. It is indeed necessary to admonish the sinner, in order to make him understand his miserable state, and the danger of damnation to which he is exposed; but he must be always admonished with charity, he must be excited to confidence in divine mercy, and must be taught the means by which he may amend his life. And though, the confessor should be obliged to defer absolution, he ought to dismiss the penitent with sweetness, fixing a day for him to return, and pointing out the remedies that he must practice in the meantime, in order to prepare himself for absolution. Sinners are saved in this way, but not by harshness and reproaches, which drive them to despair.
The confessor must know when and how to withhold absolution. A confessor exposes himself to grave danger of damnation by either being too rigorous or too lax. As one confessor sins by being too harsh, so too the priest who absolves a penitent who is not disposed for absolution is certainly guilty of sin. Generally speaking, the greater the rigour with which the confessor treats his penitents, when there is a question of the danger of formal sins, particularly against chastity, the more he will promote their sanctification.
They are bound to refuse or to defer absolution, either because the penitent will not do what they require of him, or because he is a relapsing sinner, or because he is in the proximate occasion of sin. For, in order to save his penitents, the confessor should attend with the greatest care to relapsing sinners, and to those who are in the occasion of sin.
But some will say, if we treat sinners in this manner, a great deal of our time will be taken up, and others who are waiting cannot be heard. But in answer I say, that it is better to hear one confession well than to hear great number imperfectly. But the most appropriate answer is, that the confessor has not to give an account to God of the persons who are waiting, but only of the person whose confession he has begun to hear."
#confession
St. Alphonsus Liguori
St. Pius V said: "Give us fit confessors and surely the whole of Christianity will be reformed."
He, who wishes to be a good confessor must, in the first place, consider that the office of a confessor is a very difficult and dangerous, and that on account of its difficulty and danger the Council of Trent has called it an office to be dreaded even by angels.
"It is extremely difficult to hear confessions. A priest will have to render an account to God for every confession he has heard. Without holiness and learning, the priest puts both his soul and the souls of his penitents in grave danger. Indeed, it would be better if such priest did not hear confessions at all."
The priest must be learned to hear confessions well- this applies especially to his role as a teacher. It will not be enough for one confessor to have simply a general knowledge of moral theology, rather he requires a good understanding of applied morals and of the cases discussed in the manuals. For a priest to hear confessions without having consulted the classical works of moral theology is an act of grave presumption- he risks not only his soul, but also souls of his penitents.
The confessor must be filled with charity, which means he must be holy. He is to receive all persons (both saints and sinners, the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor) with kindness to advise them without fear or concern for personal gain. It is indeed necessary to admonish the sinner, in order to make him understand his miserable state, and the danger of damnation to which he is exposed; but he must be always admonished with charity, he must be excited to confidence in divine mercy, and must be taught the means by which he may amend his life. And though, the confessor should be obliged to defer absolution, he ought to dismiss the penitent with sweetness, fixing a day for him to return, and pointing out the remedies that he must practice in the meantime, in order to prepare himself for absolution. Sinners are saved in this way, but not by harshness and reproaches, which drive them to despair.
The confessor must know when and how to withhold absolution. A confessor exposes himself to grave danger of damnation by either being too rigorous or too lax. As one confessor sins by being too harsh, so too the priest who absolves a penitent who is not disposed for absolution is certainly guilty of sin. Generally speaking, the greater the rigour with which the confessor treats his penitents, when there is a question of the danger of formal sins, particularly against chastity, the more he will promote their sanctification.
They are bound to refuse or to defer absolution, either because the penitent will not do what they require of him, or because he is a relapsing sinner, or because he is in the proximate occasion of sin. For, in order to save his penitents, the confessor should attend with the greatest care to relapsing sinners, and to those who are in the occasion of sin.
But some will say, if we treat sinners in this manner, a great deal of our time will be taken up, and others who are waiting cannot be heard. But in answer I say, that it is better to hear one confession well than to hear great number imperfectly. But the most appropriate answer is, that the confessor has not to give an account to God of the persons who are waiting, but only of the person whose confession he has begun to hear."
#confession
The Power of the Keys
Summa Theologiae
1. The gate of heaven, always open to mankind since the day of Ascension, is closed upon that individual man who is burdened by the guilt of mortal sin and the debt of eternal punishment due to it. Whatever takes away these two things from that man's soul, opens the gate of heaven to him. Now, what opens a gate is fittingly called a key. The power to remove sin, both as to guilt and debt of eternal punishment, is bestowed by Christ on his Church and on the priest of his Church;this power, especially exercised in the sacrament of penance, is figuratively called "the power of the keys."
2. The "keys" are the power of binding and loosing given to the Church by our Lord; more specifically, the"keys" are the power given to priests to forgive sins.
3. Now, there are two keys, and they are distinguished from each other by their respective acts: the one is the key of judging whether sins are to be forgiven or retained; the other is the key of absolving from sin. When these two keys areused (when the penitent is judged worthy and is absolved from his sins) the gate of heaven is opened to the penitent.
The Effect of the Keys
1. The power of the keys remits the guilt of sins, for grace is given by the sacrament of penance, and grace removes guilt.
2. The power of the keys, through the priest's absolution, takes away the eternal punishment owed to sin in strict justice; the power of the keys also takes away at least part of the temporal punishment due to sins.
3. The priest exercises the binding power of the keys (the power that keeps the gate locked), when he judges that absolution must not be given to the confessing sinner, and therefore refuses to give it. The binding power of the keys is also exercised in the imposing of "a penance" onthe forgiven sinner; for here, while the keys open heaven to the forgiven sinner, they lock him into the obligation of performing a work of satisfaction.
4. The priest in confession does not exercise the power of the keys as he chooses, or according to his personal likes, dislikes, or prejudices. The priest exercises the power of the keys in his office as God's minister, wielding in the sacrament of penance God's own authority and power, and hence he acts with care, discretion, and reverence, prudently consulting the sacredness of the sacrament on the one hand, and, on the other, the disposition and the needs of the confessing sinner.
#confession
Summa Theologiae
1. The gate of heaven, always open to mankind since the day of Ascension, is closed upon that individual man who is burdened by the guilt of mortal sin and the debt of eternal punishment due to it. Whatever takes away these two things from that man's soul, opens the gate of heaven to him. Now, what opens a gate is fittingly called a key. The power to remove sin, both as to guilt and debt of eternal punishment, is bestowed by Christ on his Church and on the priest of his Church;this power, especially exercised in the sacrament of penance, is figuratively called "the power of the keys."
2. The "keys" are the power of binding and loosing given to the Church by our Lord; more specifically, the"keys" are the power given to priests to forgive sins.
3. Now, there are two keys, and they are distinguished from each other by their respective acts: the one is the key of judging whether sins are to be forgiven or retained; the other is the key of absolving from sin. When these two keys areused (when the penitent is judged worthy and is absolved from his sins) the gate of heaven is opened to the penitent.
The Effect of the Keys
1. The power of the keys remits the guilt of sins, for grace is given by the sacrament of penance, and grace removes guilt.
2. The power of the keys, through the priest's absolution, takes away the eternal punishment owed to sin in strict justice; the power of the keys also takes away at least part of the temporal punishment due to sins.
3. The priest exercises the binding power of the keys (the power that keeps the gate locked), when he judges that absolution must not be given to the confessing sinner, and therefore refuses to give it. The binding power of the keys is also exercised in the imposing of "a penance" onthe forgiven sinner; for here, while the keys open heaven to the forgiven sinner, they lock him into the obligation of performing a work of satisfaction.
4. The priest in confession does not exercise the power of the keys as he chooses, or according to his personal likes, dislikes, or prejudices. The priest exercises the power of the keys in his office as God's minister, wielding in the sacrament of penance God's own authority and power, and hence he acts with care, discretion, and reverence, prudently consulting the sacredness of the sacrament on the one hand, and, on the other, the disposition and the needs of the confessing sinner.
#confession