LESSON 31
CONFESSION
"He that hideth his sins shall not prosper: but he that shall confess andforsake them shall obtain mercy." (Prov.28:13)
DIRECTIONS TO THE STUDENT
When Christ started His Church He gave it the power to forgive sins. Today the Catholic priest has this same power. People confess their sins to the priest, and the priest actually forgives the sins.
A. COULD CHRIST FORGIVE SINS?
Could Christ forgive sins ? The answer is very evident -of course he could forgive sins. Jesus Christ is the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity, true God.
B. CHRIST DID FORGIVE SINS
Mary Magdalene was a terrible sinner. Not only did Christ forgive her sins, but He gave her the grace to be a Saint. In fact Mary the sins of the paralyzed man who had asked to be cured.
"But that you may know that the son ofman hathpower on earth toforgive sins (He saith to the sick of the palsy), I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed and go into thy house. And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay: and he went away to his own house. glorifying God.'. (Luke 5 :24-25) To the good thief on the cross who asked Our Lord's help, all Christ had to say was: ..This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." (Luke 623 :43) Christ forgave the sins of St. Peter.
Many of Our Lord's enemies were shocked because Christ forgave sins. Christ was born to forgive sins; He died to forgive our sins.
One of the main purposes of religion is to help us out of our sins. No one wants to guess whether his sins are forgiven or not; everyone wants to be sure that they are forgiven. Every sinner desires a new start in life; he wants assurance from Christ that his sins are actually forgiven, so that he does not have to go through life worrying about hell because of his past serious sins.
C. CHRIST COULD GIVE THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS TO MEN
How wonderful it would be if Jesus Christ were in our local stadium tonight to give a sermon. After the sermon you would want to go to him privately to have your sins forgiven. You would ask Him for a few moments alone, so that you could tell Him you were sorry for your sins and beg for another chance to lead a good life. But Christ did notpl to forgive our sins by remaining on earth with us.
D. CHRIST GAVE THE APOSTLES THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS
Suddenly Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, walks through the door. Imagine the surprise and amazement of the twelve Apostles. Christ says to them, "Peace be to you. As the Father has sent Me,l also send you. When He had saidthis He breathed on them and said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shallforgive .theyareforgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain. they are retained.'. (John 20:21-23)
" WHOSE SINS YOU SHALL FORGIVE THEY ARE FORGIVEN THEM." These words mean that Christ gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins. "PEACE" means peace of soul. " AS THE FATHER HATH SENT ME" means that God the Father sent Christ to forgive sins. "I ALSO SEND YOU" means that Christ sends the twelve Apostles, His Church, to forgive our sins.
"WHOSE SINS YOU SHALL RETAIN" means that whose sins you shall not forgive are not forgiven. (For example, a priest could not forgive the sins of a person who was not really sorry for his sins.) .
E. CHRIST WANTED THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS PASSED ON TO OTHERS The Apostles gave the power to forgive sins to other bishops and priests; these handed down the power to forgive sins in an unbroken line from the time of Christ until today; the individual priest receives the power to forgive sins from the Sacrament of Holy Orders given by the bishop. Christ wanted the Apostles and bishops to hand down this power because He established the Church and gave the Sacraments for all people unto the end of the world.
'Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and ofthe Son and ofthe Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. And beholdl am with you all days. even to the consummation of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20)
F. CONFESSION IS NOT DIFFICUL T
A person in difficulty wants to talk over his troubles with someone else in order to obtain relief.
For example, a husband may "gripe" to his wife about the boss. A man will confide his troubles to his friend. Sometimes a murderer will even turn himself over to the police to get relief of conscience. The greatest relief in the world for a troubled conscience is the confessional. Remember that the priest does not know you. The confessional is built in such a way that the priest cannot see you.
Perhaps you think: "But what will the priest think of me ?" He will think only this about you: "Here is a good person; he is really sorry for his sins." You can go to any priest in any parish. It is not necessary to go to your pastor.
You will almost jump for joy to get rid of the worst illness you have ever had- your sins. People go insane worrying about sins. Get rid of them in confession!
Who was ever sad because of a painless operation that made him well?
Just as the surgeon's business is healing the diseases of the body, so the priest's business is healing the diseases of the soul, namely, sin.
The priest knows all about sin; for many years he has studied the different kinds of sin. The same sins that you confess he has heard from others in confession.
Don't be afraid; the priest will not be angry .You have not injured the priest by your sin; you have injured God and run the risk of ruining your whole life. So stop thinking about the priest; think about yourself.
G. THE PRIEST HIMSELF FORGIVES THE SINS
This is an important point for converts and for people who are taking instructions in the Catholic Church. The priest does not have to ask God to forgive your sins. The priest himself has the power to do so in Christ's name. Your sins are forgiven by the priest just the same as if you knelt before Jesus Christ and told them to Christ Himself. .'Whose sins you shall forgive. theyare forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain. they are retained." (John 20:23)
H. ANSWER TO THE OBJECTION: "I WOULD RATHER GO DIRECTLY TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS." A person who says that only God can forgive sins doesn'tbelieve the Bible; the Bible directly tells us that God gave this power to men. God could forgive you directly if He wanted to; but He does not want to. You can't just go to God and feel that He has forgiven your sins; in fact, going to God directly is a fine way to stay in sin. Why doesn't God want us to go directly to Him? No one is a judge in his own case; we would be too easy on ourselves. We need a judge. a human judge, here on earth to help us with difficult problems of conscience. God wants you to have this help; He wants people to be guided by their priests.
For example, if a married man is keeping company with another woman, the priest will correct him. Or if a Catholic steals your purse, he will be obliged to give it back; but who is there to oblige the non-Catholic? Then, too, without confession you will not avoid the things that lead you into sin.
I. FINAL PLEA You are foolish to remain in your sins What if you were to die today? Everyone needs confession -nuns, priests, even the Pope. How much more do you need it- you who live in the midst of the sins of the world. Consider the dangers of the world, the trickery of the devil who leads you step by step into sin. The urge of your own flesh tempts you to sin. Confession alone will save you from sin and keep the life of grace in your soul.
It is a beautiful thing to see a mother and father and all their children at confession on Saturday trying to keep themselves stainless before God. You cannot raise your children to be good Christians without the monthly check-up and the grace of confession. The Catholic school will not make your children good without confession.
" And He said: A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger! I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. I am not now worthy to be called thy son. And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry: Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15 :11-24) Maybe you have squandered all that God has given you in living riotously. Maybe you are the prodigal son. Come back through confession so that God the Father can say of you, ..Because this my son was dead and is come to life again. was lost and is found." (Luke 15:24)
