Season 2. Ep 39. Confession

We live in the world of extremes. Certain things traditionally considered faults must be accepted absolutely and without exception and certain other things traditionally considered faults are now unforgivable and irredeemable mistakes. Jesus’ arms spread on the cross are wide enough to embrace all, and his pierced heart is deep enough to call us to become more than we are capable of. This episode of Physically Spiritual will explore the incarnation of Christ’s love on the cross, the Confession of sins and the sacrament of Penance.

Video Version

Audio Version

Timestamps

2:45 What is Confession, Reconciliation, and Penance?

3:45 Sts. Claude and Margeate Mary and the Sacred Heart

6:45 Scriptural Foundation of Confession

9:30 Natural Benefits of Confessing

13:15 The Seal of the Confessional

14:30 What is sin?

21:30 Sacramentum Tantum

24:00 Res et Sacramentum

27:00 Res Tantum

30:00 What is a Grave Sin?

34:15 Making a Good Confession

37:00 Grave v. Mortal Sin

39:00 Examination of Conscience

43:15 Contrition

46:45 The Art of Confessing

49:45 Penance

Notes

St. Claude de la Colombière & St. Margaret Mary Alacoque - https://www.ncregister.com/blog/st-claude-and-the-lords-radical-forgiveness

“[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.  Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20: 21 - 23 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” James 5: 16 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/james/5

Brene Brown, The Power of Vulnerability - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

“The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1455. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

“People found partial confessions attractive because they (correctly) expected partial confessions to be more believable than not confessing. People failed, however, to anticipate the emotional costs associated with partially confessing. In fact, partial confessions made people feel worse than not confessing or fully confessing, a finding corroborated in a laboratory setting as well as in a study assessing people’s everyday confessions. It seems that although partial confessions seem attractive, they come at an emotional cost. - https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-02577-002

“Is Confession Good for Your Soul? Can You Be Forgiven?: I miss the Church's confessional, a holy phone booth with a direct line to God” - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/snow-white-doesnt-live-here-anymore/200902/is-confession-good-your-soul-can-you-be-forgiven

The Seal of the Confessional - “Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives.72 This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1467. - http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

"Hamartia" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamartia

“Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.  Sin is an offense against God:” Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1849 - 1850a. - https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm

Aquinas 101 | Penance and Anointing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tc2okWlJI4

“The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church: God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the 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 give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” CCC, 1449. - http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

“The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.” CCC, 1453. Ibid.

“If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly.” 1 John 5: 16 - 17 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/5

“Canon 988. §1. A member of the Christian faithful is obliged to confess in kind and number all grave sins committed after baptism and not yet remitted directly through the keys of the Church nor acknowledged in individual confession, of which the person has knowledge after diligent examination of conscience.  §2. It is recommended to the Christian faithful that they also confess venial sins.” - http://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann959-997_en.html

“Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother." The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.” CCC, 1858. - https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm

“Can.  1007 The anointing of the sick is not to be conferred upon those who persevere obstinately in manifest grave sin.” - http://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html

“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.  A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 1 Cor 11: 27 - 29 - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11

“Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart133 do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.” CCC, 1859 - https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm

Examination of Conscience - https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/penance/examinations-of-conscience

“Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful.” CCC, 1458. - http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm

“Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused.62 Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called ‘penance.’” CCC, 1459. Ibid.