Confession as a Catholic
Do some of us take Confession serious enough?
Once a year is the Church’s bare minimum for confessing grave sins. In my humble opinion, however, confession should be a regular part of genuine Catholic life. Taking it only as an annual obligation misses the sacramental life the Church calls us to live.
A Catholic conscious of mortal sin must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion. When repentance disappears, confession becomes optional; when confession becomes optional, Communion becomes automatic. Receiving the Eucharist while conscious of mortal sin is a grave matter.
I personally find this deeply troubling, even insulting, and it angers me. I do not know whether it is my place to feel that way, but I cannot deny the feeling. Of course, I cannot judge whether anyone is in a state of grace. Some may confess elsewhere, and others may not be conscious of any mortal sin. Still, when I see only a few dozen people in line for confession but several hundred receiving Communion, I cannot help but wonder.
How much of this can truly be blamed on ignorance? At what point are Catholics responsible for learning what the Church teaches about confession, mortal sin, and receiving the Eucharist worthily?
A Catholic conscious of mortal sin must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion.