After being away from the church for 17 years, and confessing to my confessor that it had been as long since my last confession… I felt my heart sink (not least of which because I realized that for such a long period of general confession, I probably should’ve made an appointment for myself, not gone in the confession line before Mass). God bless my confessor, he graciously and charitably guided me through the sacrament, including reminding me that I needed to pray the act of contrition before leaving. Leading up until my confession, my mind went through a “lowlight reel” of the many grievous sins I had committed, and wondered how so many wretched sins could be forgiven… but after hearing me out, my confessor gave me some very good spiritual guidance, a fair penance, and I left the confessional feeling freer and more united with God than I had in nearly two decades. Praise be to God for the sacrament of penance, the guidance of those He has ordained to forgive sins, and for the Holy Catholic Church
For the longest time I thought confesión was meaningless, but now that I have come back to the church I find it does help me get more connected to god and really examine my acts and become a better Catholic
I have just come back into the Church. Watched this before going to my first confession in over a decade. Thank you for your advice, it cleared up a lot of ambiguities and worries for me, and was delivered straightforwardly, with clarity and good humour. God bless you Father.
Thank you for this information father. Am preparing myself now to go for confession this Friday. Pray for me father that I be able to remember all my sins since last Christmas.
If it’s a sin to point out the hilarity of “start over” at the beginning of “how to begin” then I will confess it when I go in next lol. It’s been about 35 years so this was definitely a huge help in refreshing my memory. Thank you!
After 5 years only two people have noticed!! (or at least had the moxie to point it out) I noticed it right before I put it up, but decided "let's see how many will catch it and have the guts to say so" and left it in. I should have offered a prize!! LOL!! "Nothing in this world has any business being perfect" -- King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) in "The Lion in Winter"
Hello dear Father ! Thank you these series are so timely for me as I’m preparing myself before confessions are open Indeed this is useful too Father I love your clarity in explanation, which what I truly need to hear My prayers are always with you Father to guide us as you have passionately done so 🕊
Thank you Father. I was baptized and confirmed in 2016 and sadly confession was only briefly touched upon once during RCIA. The sacrament itself was not emphasized except almost as an afterthought so there are a great many of us who to out into the world as newly formed Catholics without any real idea of how to confess and what to confess.
Even though I go to confession very often, this was helpful in many ways. I am certain it will be of great help to those than have stayed away for a long time! Thank you Father!
After not going to confession for over20 years, it was cathartic,the Priest was kind, listened to my confession in reverence……I for one felt cleansed of my sins,. None of the hell fire and brimstone, of many years past…Thank you Father for you tube video God Bless you and all the Good Shepherd’s of our Catholic Faith
I was baptized and raised Catholic but honestly this is so incredibly foreign to me. Nothing about it feels natural and it elicits a lot of anxiety thinking about it and trying to do this I fear I’ve just overwhelmed the priest. I think I did a confession once at the church I grew up at and it was pretty forced. I was told what to say - the priest just smiled and told me I am forgiven. I really want to feel this and embrace it but honestly I don’t feel it nor am I sure of all my sins. I’m sure I have so many I’m unaware of. I want this to feel natural but it just triggers panic in me. I keep praying.
Thank you Fr Nicholas for your wonderful videos which are very informative and for the explanation of the rudiments of the sacrements of Confession and Holy Communion which are of utmost importance for Roman Catholics. May God bless & sanctify you in you mission as a holy priest. Dóminus vobiscum.✠
Thank you, Father. This was a very practical guide. More such videos on The daily practices of being Catholic would be useful. At least, it would to me.
Thank you father, its been quite a long time since my last confession.And I feel like my conscience is asking me to go but Im anxious what to do first when I get inside the confession box.😖But I have to for my soul sake.
@ Ice M: Don't worry or be afraid. Remember, the priest is there to help you, not kill you and devour you. I once went 10 years without going to confession and i was a little worried and scared, but afterward i realised it wasn't bad at all and i felt so clean and refreshed. Now, you go to confession and don't be afraid. God bless you.
Me too. Review the 10 Commandments. Recall all the people you can. Notice whether you must be sorry for anything. ... I need to go to Confession also ...
Father I don't feel community in Ireland like you have in America I'm afraid were losing priest to old age I really want to go to confession churches aren't as freely open so it's often frightening I'd love our churches to have community like I see in other countries hod bless me get me to confession quickly
I've read that even if a mortal sin was merely unintentionally forgotten in a previous confession we still are required to mention it during a subsequent confession if we remember the sin.
It is hard to forget when you have committed a mortal sin, because it is always done with the full consent of the will. However, YES, you must confess mortal sins if they are to be forgiven. I would re-examine the sin to see if it is really a mortal sin (people banter that term around very carelessly and melodramatically these days). That said, ALL sins should be confessed. Not just the mortal ones.
Thanks for this explanation. Raised Protestant, this isn't something I've really understood but you've made a good, concise explanation of it, almost as a regular exit from The World and penitent pursuit & celebration of forgiveness & sanctification. As one living where there is no formal occasion/place for Confession, how do you envision this sacrament taking shape in a believer's life? (Imagine the unchurched beginning to partake of this sacrament where there are only laypersons.)
There are good things in this and in part 2 (which I watched first) for me to contemplate and put to use. I am a Protestant, so I do not come before a priest to confess, but I do come before the Lord and sometimes before my Brethren in Christ. I really need to spend more time before the Lord figuring out which specific sins I have actually committed. Sometimes I just complain that I sin but am not even really sure what exactly I've done--I just assume I've done something but haven't put the proper thought into figuring out what. That is not beneficial to my walk with God.
This is from the same series, and talks about why going to Confession to a Priest is both practiced and important. czcams.com/video/a9Va8IO7Ivo/video.html Just an FYI. Thanks for your comment, and for watching my videos.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 I just watched it and the other in the series that came right after it. I'll admit, it does not convince me to take on the Catholic view. However, Protestants aren't against confession before a human, we just don't go to someone with the title of Priest, which most of us don't have access to anyway because we have a different church structure (unless you perhaps consider all Christians as priests and therefore...). One might come before their Pastor or a church Elder with a confession, or most often when having deeper conversations with a mentor/discipler or in a small group we will confess things before each other. Occassionally you'll see someone confess something before the congregation. It is, of course, less formal in these settings and not anonymous. And often we have already settled it with God beforehand, but sometimes not. It does create an environment of accountability, though, as your brothers and sisters in Christ can now help you move forward without falling back into sin. They also might find your confession helps them confess and deal with sin in their own lives and it can bless the whole group. Because of Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit indwelling, we have direct access to God. And we Protestants, as you know, do believe we can take our confession directly before Him and be forgiven right then and there. I will relate a specific experience where this was so profound and clear in my life: I was spending time with the Lord and a specific sin was brought forth and made clear to me in my mind. I called out to God in repentence and sorrow, and when I was done confessing I rejoiced, for so clear was the sense of forgiveness. I knew it was forgiven--it was finished, it was no more--and that I would leave it behind and continue forward without it. The sin is long forgotten, but not that moment where I gained some understanding about forgiveness. If I were in a town where there was only a Catholic church, I would not be opposed to going to confession before a priest, however (so long as you guys would let me), nor even to attending it, though I don't think I would convert and unfortunately that would deny me the Eucharist in a Catholic church. We Protestants do think a little differently from Catholics when we use the same Scriptures, but I've seen God work through both ways.
why do we begin by saying "bless me Father for i have sinned", when we know that we have intentionally sinned against God? Are we not supposed to ask for His mercy and forgiveness other than His blessings at that point?
Asking God to bless us is asking for his favor and protection. We ask for protection against future temptations so we can avoid sin later on. When it comes to requesting favor, we aren't asking him to favor us more than another human (God doesn't do that, he loves all equally). What I think it means is favor the present us and cleanse us of our sins, and forgive our past self for the sins we committed.
I haven't gone to confession for 2 years out of fear, anxiety, worry, being scared that the priest will judge me, and worrying about if the priest will tell someone else/ have my penance be telling someone else.
The priest is there to absolve your sins, not judge you. He may council you because he is still a shepherd of souls, but if you are sincere in your confession, you will walk out of there absolved from your sins, not judged for the. Also, the seal of the confessional means ABSOLUTE confidentiality. Nothing and no one can compel the priest to reveal what he hears, nor can he confirm/deny that you even came to confession. Besides, if you go anonymously, he need not even know who you are, and still he cannot discuss what he heard. So have a little faith, put a little trust and you will be happy you did.
It's been 40 yrs since my Catholic confession last night from my confession as Anglican but I'm thinking of going to a Catholic confession what should I use last night was my last confession or 40 yrs since my last confession
joseph gallardo if you were baptized as a Catholic, then you are a Catholic who just hasn't been to Mass in however long it has been or received any other Sacraments. Once a Catholic, you are always a Catholic. Going to confession reconciles you to the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church. :)
Hi, Father: thanks for your clear explanation of how to confess. What would be your advice to a soul who wishes to confess regularly, say once a month (I think Our Lady of Medjugorye asked for this) but cannot think of any obvious sins. Perhaps, you have heard that Fulton Sheen is reported to have said hearing the confessions of nuns is liking being pelted with popcorn. A priest once told me he goes to confession every week which surprised me. I just wonder what should we confess when there are no mortal sins on your conscience and the venial ones just don't stand out in your memory after a month or so or even longer?). I feel that it would trivialise the Sacrament of Penance if we began "confessing" things like " I spoke sharply to an official on the phone twice in the last month; or, I drove at 35mph in a 30mph zone;" And how should you confess sins of omission?
In the church I went to, the confession room was actually “just” a room with two chairs, enabling two people to have a face to face discussion. (There also was a crucifix on the wall and some christian decoration) What I’m trying to say is, I wasn’t aware at the time, that the whole “anonymous”-confession was apparently optional? Come to think of it, this may actually scare away some people, right?
Father, I have two questions not regarding confession, one, why don't preist preach bible prophecy? Two, why do other faiths bash the catholic faith so much. I am more confused than ever. Please help, Thank you
Jeff B. To your first question -- It depends on what you mean by "prophecy". If you mean "predicting the future" kind of prophecy, the Catholic Church does not engage in that activity and the prophets of the Bible, while "fulfilled" in Jesus, do not engage in predicting future events. God even has forbidden that kind of practice among His people. However, if you mean the prophetic call for pure worship and greater justice and moral righteousness, many priests do preach that. Unfortunately, the biblical call for more authentic worship is often bogged down today between pre- and post-Vatican II divisions; Latin Mass or no Latin Mass, rather than the interior disposition of the priests and people offering worship; and calls for righteousness and social justice are often bogged down in liberal/conservative political conflicts rather than how the call of God in the Bible itself is applicable today. No one seems to want to touch morality with a ten-foot-pole these days because it is such a hot topic (especially sexual morality) and, is also bogged down in sexual socio-political debates rather than how the prophets held up illicit sexual union is a sign and symbol of adherence to paganism. However, there are a few courageous priests out there who manage to preach the Biblical prophets, and to be that prophetic presence today.
Butttrtr father why when i cane to confess i don t know what to say .my mind get empty and can t remeber my sins .i try to think them. But the i forget them
No need to be nervous. The priest is there to bestow God's forgiveness. Feel free to write them down if you need to. Take a deep breath. Take your time and each time you go it will get easier.
I see more & more Catholic who feel the Priest is not necessary anymore. We can confess our sin by talking to Jesus. He hear you and He is the one who forgives you. Because He knows you. The Priest doesn't know you or what your life is like.
There must be many that go up for Holy Communion without the sacrament of confession and those that will not go forward for communion because they feel sinful?
There is nothing that your priest has not heard before and there is nothing so bad that will not be forgiven when confessed in sincerity and truth. That is what is so special and necessary about confession. Forgiveness is guaranteed. And once God has forgiven you, the only challenge left is for you to forgive yourself. So, "be not afraid" and go see your priest.
Hello Father, Hope this finds you well. Great video. Just out of curiosity is there a particular prayer or extract you read from the Bible during Confession?
There is nothing in particular I pray during a Confession. I am usually listening to the person making their confession. While sitting in the confessional, waiting, I will often pray the breviary for the day. As for a good Biblical payer FOR Confession, I think the best Act of Contrition is the 51st Psalm, also known as the "Miserere".
As a Catholic I know we're I read in the Bible we have to go to a priest. They can forgive our sins, yes! But to who do we confess to the priest or to god? Then why not directly to god.
Actually it was the anti-Jesus scribes who said that (Mark 2:6-7). So you need to get your facts straight. Then Jesus corrected their error (Mark 2:8-11) and everyone marveled that Jesus was introducing something new (Mark 2:12). So you need to keep reading. Then Jesus told Peter and the Apostles, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven" (John 20:23). So you need to remember that there are more verses in the bible than the one you love to quote and which seems to be the only one anyone seems to know.
Sorry if I sounded a little sharp in my response. I get that particular comment a lot (along with the "call no man [your] father passage." (which is another favorite of people)). Have a response for both but it gets tiresome after a while. So excuse any abruptness I exhibited.
Time to start using your imagination more, or at least expand your knowledge of Scripture. Is this the ONLY passage people know? Do they even know what the passage says? No one calls me 'YOUR Father". No one addresses me as MY Father. They just call me "Father." The Bible was not written in English by Christian Protestants. 'Your Father" the term Jesus forbids, is a more formal term than simply the term "father". Even then, Jesus Himself uses the term repeatedly throughout the Gospels in reference to a persons father. So, unless Jesus contradicted Himself, in which case faith in Him is gravely misplaced, then He obviously meant it in a different sense than the one some biblical ignoramuses are fond of.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus called His Father "Father", but I don't see where He used it anywhere else. Not being combative. I went to both catholic and christian schools. Matthew 23 is a great chapter explaining religious leaders. Why does Jesus say "all ye are brethren" when He says not to call men "rabbi", "father" or "master"?
When Jesus says, "unless you hate Father and Mother", when he makes references to the "father" in his parables, and when he quotes the (Greek translation of) Genesis, "that is why a man leaves his father and mother..." he uses the same word he forbids when he says "Call no man on earth your father." The difference is the inclusion of the word "your" which is a much more formal term. Watch the movie "the Ten Commandments" and note how characters address their fathers -- "Yes, my father", "is it true, my father?". That is more the spirit of what Jesus meant if we translate it to English. No one in English (or very few) addresses me or, for that matter, their dads as as "My Father", but only "father." It is like the Spanish conjugation of verbs between the two forms of the word "you", the familiar "tu" and the formal "usted". We don't have that distinct form of conjugation in English. So it is hard for people who only speak English to comprehend the formal address for "Father" in another language, like Greek or Hebrew. It is the formal "YOUR father", or "MY father" in the same way we refer to God as "OUR Father" that Jesus means. Unfortunately, many non-Catholic Christians who have a bone to pick don't understand this.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus had a bone to pick with the religious leaders of the day. Matthew 23 is very clearly about the scribes and pharisees. Not about calling you father, "father". He is specifically talking about them. The chapter is dedicated to warning the religious leaders about their hypocrisy. He mentions their fancy robes, wanting special seats at events and being called "Rabbi or Father".
Be that as it may, Jesus is still only prohibiting the FORMAL address of YOUR Father, as we address God as OUR Father. He is not forbidding the use of the term "Father". Still, his admonition to the Scribes and Pharisees does, as you point out, further call them out on seeking a title merely for the sake of having the title. Just as he criticizes them for piling heavy burdens but not lifting a finger to help carry them. He does not criticize the burden, only the failure or refusal to help carry them.
Father, I've been told that if we legitimately have forgotten some sins in confession that we DO have to confess those sins (mortal) the next time we go. Although that doesn't have to be that same day, but within a reasonable amount of time. I'm confused.
Mortal sins, yes, they always must be confessed. But, how likely is it that one will forget a mortal sin and not confess it, unless they did not know that it was a mortal sin at the time - which is one of the three conditions for it to be mortal ( 1) a grave matter, 2) full knowledge of the evil being committed, and 3) committed knowingly with full consent of the will)? Highly unlikely that a mortal sin will be "forgotten" and more likely, under those three mandatory conditions, that it was withheld.
The obligation is the same as everyone else -- once a year during Lent. Most, however, go more often. Some with regularity some without. It depends on the priest, but my guess is that most, if not all, go a few times a year.
What happens if i go to confession after 7 years? Is it invalid? I say this because in the beginning of the video says that you should go to confession at least once a year.
The OBLIGATION is once a year. However, many people return to the Sacrament of Confession after many years, and then receive it regularly afterwards. If it has been awhile, nothing keeps you from going and nothing makes any honest confession invalid.
We are to confess our rebellion to the LORD. ALL our sins, past, present AND future, were washed away when Jesus too ALL our sins upon His sinless self & paid the price for them when He surrendered His life on that cross on Calvary. Jesus blotted out the stain of ALL our sins on that cross. When we acknowledge that TRUTH & turn to Jesus to invite Him to guide us through life forever more, He instantly forgives us! From that moment of acknowledgement we are saved by God’s grace through Jesus’ redeeming blood! Read Psalm 51: 1 - 10. So God does NOT tell us that we must confess our sins to a priest here on earth. People who have been designated “priests” are sinners just like the rest of us. God tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! Our sins have been ALL washed away by Jesus’ sacrifice & He forgives anyone who acknowledges that He is our Lord and Saviour; that He is the ONLY “bridge” to God! 1 John 1: 9 tells us , “If we confess our sins to HIM, (God) he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” Certainly when we sin against each other, we are to confess our sins to each other & to pray for each other so that we may be healed. James 5: 16a tells us that. But nowhere does God tell us to confess our sins to Him through a priest. That claim cannot be backed up through scripture. We must each give a personal account to GOD ONLY! Romans 14: 12b.
Thank you for your passion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of single verses in Scripture that say all we need to say to be saved. By doing so, we negate other Scripture that is equally as valid. The Catholic/catholic/universal church-the church of Christ, given to us by Jesus, himself, tells us many things. As Catholic Christians, we take fully into account ALL that Jesus said. Like many outside (and possibly inside, though errantly) believe that we 'worship' Mary, if we go only on the teachings of Paul, are we not extending a worship of all that he says, while rationalizing away instructions given to us by Jesus himself? Mary, creation of God, and therefore so we do not judge, is to be loved and honored as all human life is honored as made in the image of God, each with one's own gifts, Mary's gift is the ultimate gift, in that she was made to bring Jesus to us and we now can prayerfully ask her to bring us to Him, as his mother. Little is known about the life of Mary, but we know she was the primary human vessel God used in Salvation history, to come to us as part of a family. It is a dangerous thing to assume anything less than honorable, for by doing so, we judge another human and the gifts given them by God. We shall indeed give an account to God and for us to follow the commandments, and to Imitate our Lord, we shall honor our father and mother, and thereby, since God gave Jesus an earthly father and mother, as He honored them, so too shall we. It is of utmost respect. We are family in God's kingdom. It is not only us and God. If it were, why would he have made us family and come into an earthly family. Jesus said “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:22-23 Consider the "you" he is speaking to. For a clearer explanation on confession, see www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-confession-in-scripture
Esther Miller read (John 20, 21-23) (2 Corinthians 5, 18-20) The first Christians confessed (James 5, 16) (acts 19, 18) Priests, being men like us, can understand us and help us to advance in the way of our own sanctification. (Hebrews 5 1-2) On the other hand, the idea of confessing directly with God is not biblical. In the Old Testament it is said that the confession of sins is made in the presence of a priest, in a cultic and liturgical context (Lv 5, 1-13, Nm 5, 5-10). He who in any of these ways has become guilty, will confess his guilt and present to the Lord, as a reparation for the sin committed, a female of the flock, sheep or goat, in sacrifice of expiation. The priest will thus make you atone for your sin, and you will be forgiven. (Lv 5, 5-6)
Who was the editor on this video? They obviously didn't watch it back. The priest screwed up the 'How Do You Begin' part and started again. Dude needs to confess to being a sloppy editor.
If anyone else point it out to you, you could always say that (since it is in a "how to" video) I was showing the best way to stop and "start over" if you begin Confession wrong. ;-)
The basic outline of this video and of part 2 of "how to go to confession" gives a basic outline on what to do when you go to confession. The rest of my explanations are about why we do what we do.
No priest reports to ANYONE what he hears in Confession. He can't even say that someone did NOT come to Confession. Everything is held in absolute confidentiality.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 thank you for the information. Ive never confessed my sins to anyone of the church in my life and i need someone to talk to about what I've done and how to make it up to the families I've devastated. I know im a child of god, but I've done something severe in my past because i went down the wrong path in life and ive seen enough bloodshed to last me a lifetime and i want to make amends with god first before i go forward and admit my sins to the families ive forsaken.
Father but if i have sin butttt i confess it many time becaue its was big but becaues i am soooo sorry and did t mean to hurt god and any one am i sining agin
It is only necessary to confess a sin again if you commit the sin again. Deep deep remorse does not negate the sacrament, and the absolute forgiveness of God it bestows. Have faith in that forgiveness and work hard to overcome that sin so as to not commit it again. Allow your deep remorse to guide you away from sin; but remorse and sorrow are not sins in and of themselves.
General Absolution is rarely given, except in circumstances in which there is a chance of mass death in which there is no time or opportunity for individual confession and absolution -- For example in a time of war, prior to battle. It is rare and is not allowed under normal circumstances.
No. and BTW - the Penitential rite is not the Sacrament of Confession. We only "call to mind out sins", but do not confess our sins. So the "absolution" given at the end of it - "may almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life." - is not the same as the absolution in Confession. So it is not considered "general absolution."
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Thank you for clarifying this Fr. William Nicholas. I was going to ask you another question regarding the sins that we committed every day. But it's kind of personal that I don't want to mention here.
Only ordained priests (and bishops) have the faculties to administer absolution in the name of the Church, to whom Jesus gave the power to forgive sins (John 20:23).
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus said that to his disciples, so are catholic priests and bishops given the same powers as the disciples were in john 20:23? Thoughts on james 5:16 "Confess faults one to another....". This has always confused me. Thanks
The Apostles are succeeded by the Bishops and the presbyters (priests) are extensions of the bishops in terms of sacramental ministry. This is also the case for the deacons. All three are spoken of in the New Testament, particularly in the Letters to Timothy (I forget which, unless it is both.) and, I believe Titus. The Bishops administer all seven sacraments, the priests can administer five (not Confirmation, without a special delegation, like at Easter, and not Holy Orders), while the deacon can administer Baptism and Matrimony. James says "confess your sins to one another..." because he is also speaking from a reference point of the very close relationship Christians had with one another at that time because they were brother/sisters in Christ. Something that has, unfortunately been lost. (After all, do you see that same closeness and respect of privacy among many parish groups nowadays?) However, with the growth of Christianity, the development of the Sacrament in Church tradition has limited it to the privacy of the confessor who is an ordained minister of the Sacrament. Time was when in some places sins were publicly confessed to the gathered assembly. But over time it developed to private confession in which the confessor is formally bound by the absolute seal of the confessional, where a general assembly, or "one another" are not, and the absolution of sins is assured and guaranteed in the prayer of absolution and blessing, and the priest/bishop, acting in persona Christi, the confession is, in fact, being given to Christ, through the ordained minister (incarnational interchange, human to human). This is not the case with lay Catholics. Hope this makes sense.
I like this guy, and it all sounds good. But my priest has to zip around three churches every Sunday to say Mass, there is no way he could hear all our personal confessions every Saturday. Near the start of our Mass, we have a "general confession". For all the sins we commit every week, that should be enough, shouldn't it? If something is gravely troubling your conscience, that's the time for individual confession. My priest now advertises "confessions by request". Believe me, it sounds better in Spanish than in English. Isn't it time, as grown-up Catholics, we took charge of our own consciences, rather than outsourcing them to priests? OK, call me radical protestant, I've been called worse.
No need at all to tell some strange man who claims to have the power to forgive sins, the secrets and sins in your heart. ALL born again believers in Jesus Christ are priests, and have full and complete access to the one and only High Priest Jesus Christ. Forget about telling this guy your intimate thoughts, especially women, it only pollutes his mind with things he has no right to hear. I Peter 2:9, l John 1:9, Eph. 2:8-9, Romans5:1, l John 5:13
It's no claim. I'll see your Peter, John and Paul and raise you one Jesus Christ -- "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you hold bound are held bound" (John 20:23) and "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19); and he didn't say this to ALL "born again" believers. Just the leadership and their presbyters. (and BTW, nowhere in Scripture does it say Christians must be "born again" (go ahead, I dare you. I'm ready!)) Need to read the ENTIRE Scripture, not just the passages you like to misquote.
Well Jesus Christ certainly believes we need to confess our sins in the Confessional to the Priest who is in Persona Christi. He exhorts through His Priests. Jesus Christ saves us baptized with The Holy Spirit and Holy Water from original sin. Sins committed after Baptism have to be confessed, we have to receive absolution and serve our Penance to be forgiven by God. That’s why He instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). 2 Cor 5:18-20, Jn 20:21-23, Mt 16:18-19, 18:17-18.
I've come to the conclusion that the Eucharist isn't validly consecrated during some Novus Ordo masses. If so, then there's no need to confess anything.
You have neither the credentials, nor the authority to make that conclusion. For that matter, neither do I. There is only one spirit that would make anyone draw such conclusions, and it's not a holy one. Time to check any arrogant presumption at the door and start to approach our God with the humility He requires and the faith (without personal classification) in both the Son He sent, and in the Church His Son founded, and with whom He promised He would always be.
Yo confess your sin once a year😂😂😂,confess your sin after you realize that you bulldoze God law.There is no pattern that stated in the bible in tha new testament that someone need to go to a priest to confess.Who is the priest?.The bible said we are all priest..a royal priesthood.Father?.the bible said call no one on earth Father because you had only one father,which is in heaven.The bible also said there is only one mediator between man and God,that is Jesus.Confessing to priest of padre is a waste of time.
At LEAST once a year. Yes, there is "one mediator", but we gotta do it the way the "one mediator" told us to do it rather then selectively ignore much of what the "one mediator" said. And one thing the "one mediator" did NOT say is "call no man father." The "one mediator" said "call no one on earth YOUR Father". There's a difference (and remember the Bible was not written yesterday, nor in English, nor in America by anti-Catholic Protestants). BTW - If you actually READ the Bible you will note that in the New Testament people DID confess their sins to John the Baptist (gospels) and to the Apostles (Acts), not to "everyone"; and 1 John and James tell people to confess their sins (gotta do it to someone). And Jesus said to the Apostles (not to everyone): "Whose sins YOU forgive [not whose sins anyone forgives] are forgiven..." Everything you wrote?... I've heard it all before. It's all too easy, and it really gets tiresome! Come up with something new, that no one else has said, pleeeease!
@@fr.williamnicholas955 matt:23:9 "father" in this verse applies to religious leaders,not our biological fathers as in eph 6:2,children are told to "honour thy father and mother". Christ is condemning the scribes and phariseess. Matt:23 potrays these religious leaders with their pretense of piety,their long fancy robes,their love of being noticed and of sitting at the head of a table. (The catholic father has all this character too,in the church they will sit on a special like throne chair). They prided themselves in being called as "rabbi" and "father". Christ rebuked these religious leaders,the scribes and pharisees for their hypocrites. (Do you think Christ,going to be silent,today,to the catholic priests and father). Read 2 cor:13-15 Christ speaks about this hypocrites.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 confession to priest is nowhere taught in the new covenent. 1 peter 2:5-9 described believers as "Holy Priesthood" and "Royal Priesthood". In the old covenent,priest are mediators between the people and God. But that is no longer neccessary because of Jesus sacrifice. Now we can approach God directly,without the use of a human mediator. Why?,because Jesus is our great high priest (heb 4:14-15,10:21) And the only mediator between us and God 1tim 2:5 in the new testament teaches that there are to be elders 1tim 3:1-7,titus 1:6-9 Deacons 1tim 3:8-13 Pastors eph 4:11 but not priests Believers are told in 1 john 1:9 to confess their sin to God. Pleeeeeeesssseeeeee check the fact,what i given you is with bible backup not traditions.
Sorry to disappoint you but Jesus did not say "call no religious leaders your father." He said "call no one on EARTH your father." Either way he did not forbid the use of the word "Father" because he uses the same Greek word when he says "that is why a man leaves his FATHER and mother...." and "unless you hate your FATHER and other..." So obviously it was not an outright prohibition of the word FATHER, but rather of the formal use YOUR father, OUR father, etc, that is reserved to God. (and btw, I'm not a pharisee. So by your logic he is not talking about his own priests, but the Jewish leaders.) Sorry to further disappoint you but it was AFTER Jesus's sacrifice that he said to the apostles, "whose sins YOU forgive are forgiven" and it was AFTER His sacrifice that people confessed to the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles. 1 john 1:9 -- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful..." Sorry, he never says confess "to God" So logically, we confess our sins to those who have the authority to hear and forgive in Jesus' name -- John 20:23 Keep trying. I've heard it all before (Yaaawn!) I know it's hard to come up with something original, but Catholics have been around a lot longer. We've heard it all before.
After being away from the church for 17 years, and confessing to my confessor that it had been as long since my last confession… I felt my heart sink (not least of which because I realized that for such a long period of general confession, I probably should’ve made an appointment for myself, not gone in the confession line before Mass). God bless my confessor, he graciously and charitably guided me through the sacrament, including reminding me that I needed to pray the act of contrition before leaving. Leading up until my confession, my mind went through a “lowlight reel” of the many grievous sins I had committed, and wondered how so many wretched sins could be forgiven… but after hearing me out, my confessor gave me some very good spiritual guidance, a fair penance, and I left the confessional feeling freer and more united with God than I had in nearly two decades.
Praise be to God for the sacrament of penance, the guidance of those He has ordained to forgive sins, and for the Holy Catholic Church
One of the basics of being a true Catholic.
For the longest time I thought confesión was meaningless, but now that I have come back to the church I find it does help me get more connected to god and really examine my acts and become a better Catholic
I have just come back into the Church. Watched this before going to my first confession in over a decade. Thank you for your advice, it cleared up a lot of ambiguities and worries for me, and was delivered straightforwardly, with clarity and good humour. God bless you Father.
As a new Catholic, I needed to see this. Thank you. May God bless you, Father.🙏✝️❤️🔥
Thank you for this information father. Am preparing myself now to go for confession this Friday. Pray for me father that I be able to remember all my sins since last Christmas.
Very helpful father ,
If it’s a sin to point out the hilarity of “start over” at the beginning of “how to begin” then I will confess it when I go in next lol. It’s been about 35 years so this was definitely a huge help in refreshing my memory. Thank you!
After 5 years only two people have noticed!! (or at least had the moxie to point it out) I noticed it right before I put it up, but decided "let's see how many will catch it and have the guts to say so" and left it in.
I should have offered a prize!! LOL!!
"Nothing in this world has any business being perfect" -- King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) in "The Lion in Winter"
Hello dear Father ! Thank you these series are so timely for me as I’m preparing myself before confessions are open Indeed this is useful too Father I love your clarity in explanation, which what I truly need to hear My prayers are always with you Father to guide us as you have passionately done so 🕊
Thank you Father. I was baptized and confirmed in 2016 and sadly confession was only briefly touched upon once during RCIA. The sacrament itself was not emphasized except almost as an afterthought so there are a great many of us who to out into the world as newly formed Catholics without any real idea of how to confess and what to confess.
Confession is a gift from GOD
A gift which is very liberating in Holy selflessness
Our sins are not secret anymore
Man and GOD knows Amen
Even though I go to confession very often, this was helpful in many ways. I am certain it will be of great help to those than have stayed away for a long time! Thank you Father!
After not going to confession for over20 years, it was cathartic,the Priest was kind, listened to my confession in reverence……I for one felt cleansed of my sins,. None of the hell fire and brimstone, of many years past…Thank you Father for you tube video God Bless you and all the Good Shepherd’s of our Catholic Faith
Yes thank you. Confession makes me so nervous and this helped me to be a little less nervous and also think of my sins I wasn’t focusing on. 🙏🏼
This is so broken down and simplified. Thanks Padre
It is of help to me as I'm preparing for my first confession when I am accepted into the Catholic Church next Easter.
God bless you Fr.
I was baptized and raised Catholic but honestly this is so incredibly foreign to me. Nothing about it feels natural and it elicits a lot of anxiety thinking about it and trying to do this I fear I’ve just overwhelmed the priest. I think I did a confession once at the church I grew up at and it was pretty forced. I was told what to say - the priest just smiled and told me I am forgiven. I really want to feel this and embrace it but honestly I don’t feel it nor am I sure of all my sins. I’m sure I have so many I’m unaware of. I want this to feel natural but it just triggers panic in me. I keep praying.
Thank you Fr Nicholas for your wonderful videos which are very informative and for the explanation of the rudiments of the sacrements of Confession and Holy Communion which are of utmost importance for Roman Catholics. May God bless & sanctify you in you mission as a holy priest. Dóminus vobiscum.✠
Thank you, Father. This was a very practical guide. More such videos on The daily practices of being Catholic would be useful. At least, it would to me.
This is a great talk! Thanks, Fr. May God bless you more and more.
Amen! Thank you father for yours, always good lessons. God bless you.
I'm glad I found this. I'm in RCIA, and learning so much
Thank you Father you have enlightened me. I have not gone to confession for over ten years
Thank you father, its been quite a long time since my last confession.And I feel like my conscience is asking me to go but Im anxious what to do first when I get inside the confession box.😖But I have to for my soul sake.
Ice M. I hope you made it to confession. Confession, tho scary, it’s such a healing!! May God bless you
@ Ice M: Don't worry or be afraid. Remember, the priest is there to help you, not kill you and devour you. I once went 10 years without going to confession and i was a little worried and scared, but afterward i realised it wasn't bad at all and i felt so clean and refreshed. Now, you go to confession and don't be afraid. God bless you.
GOD BLESS YOU AND THE WHOLE WORLD..🙏❤
Thank you Father. This has been very helpful. God Bless.
I’ve gone to confession many time, but this video is a very helpful and needed explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Thx you so much, it was very clear and very good tips. Thx u again . God bless you Father
Thankyou father I am getting ready to go to confession this Wednesday pray that my sins will be forgiven.
@ John Marley: Don't worry, your sins will be forgiven.
Thank you very much for this great information.
I am preparing myself for the confession and your video is helping me a lot to do it well.
This is good advice thank you Father
Thank you for your good guide to confess
The hardest part for me is knowing what's a sin and what isn't. I have trouble finding good guidelines on this.
Me too.
Review the 10 Commandments.
Recall all the people you can.
Notice whether you must be sorry for anything. ... I need to go to Confession also ...
Thank you Father for this beautiful information it's needed to be known 😊😊
Thank you Father God Bless you
Thank you, Father! You are inspiring many people with your insights & advice!
Thank you father 🙏❤🙏
Father I don't feel community in Ireland like you have in America I'm afraid were losing priest to old age I really want to go to confession churches aren't as freely open so it's often frightening I'd love our churches to have community like I see in other countries hod bless me get me to confession quickly
Lord lead me not into temptation… I can find it by myself…Amen
I've read that even if a mortal sin was merely unintentionally forgotten in a previous confession we still are required to mention it during a subsequent confession if we remember the sin.
It is hard to forget when you have committed a mortal sin, because it is always done with the full consent of the will. However, YES, you must confess mortal sins if they are to be forgiven. I would re-examine the sin to see if it is really a mortal sin (people banter that term around very carelessly and melodramatically these days).
That said, ALL sins should be confessed. Not just the mortal ones.
Thank you so much, I have forgotten the complete protocol & Truly appreciate your instructions. Saved a bunch of vids to get more; Thank You Again🙏🌞
Thanks for this explanation. Raised Protestant, this isn't something I've really understood but you've made a good, concise explanation of it, almost as a regular exit from The World and penitent pursuit & celebration of forgiveness & sanctification. As one living where there is no formal occasion/place for Confession, how do you envision this sacrament taking shape in a believer's life? (Imagine the unchurched beginning to partake of this sacrament where there are only laypersons.)
Amen please help me God
Amen
Very helpful. Good, so basically I've been doing it right. :-)
Thank you for making this video.
I relish this opportunity to be exposed to this vital information. Thanks
There are good things in this and in part 2 (which I watched first) for me to contemplate and put to use. I am a Protestant, so I do not come before a priest to confess, but I do come before the Lord and sometimes before my Brethren in Christ. I really need to spend more time before the Lord figuring out which specific sins I have actually committed. Sometimes I just complain that I sin but am not even really sure what exactly I've done--I just assume I've done something but haven't put the proper thought into figuring out what. That is not beneficial to my walk with God.
This is from the same series, and talks about why going to Confession to a Priest is both practiced and important. czcams.com/video/a9Va8IO7Ivo/video.html
Just an FYI. Thanks for your comment, and for watching my videos.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 I just watched it and the other in the series that came right after it. I'll admit, it does not convince me to take on the Catholic view. However, Protestants aren't against confession before a human, we just don't go to someone with the title of Priest, which most of us don't have access to anyway because we have a different church structure (unless you perhaps consider all Christians as priests and therefore...). One might come before their Pastor or a church Elder with a confession, or most often when having deeper conversations with a mentor/discipler or in a small group we will confess things before each other. Occassionally you'll see someone confess something before the congregation. It is, of course, less formal in these settings and not anonymous. And often we have already settled it with God beforehand, but sometimes not. It does create an environment of accountability, though, as your brothers and sisters in Christ can now help you move forward without falling back into sin. They also might find your confession helps them confess and deal with sin in their own lives and it can bless the whole group.
Because of Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit indwelling, we have direct access to God. And we Protestants, as you know, do believe we can take our confession directly before Him and be forgiven right then and there. I will relate a specific experience where this was so profound and clear in my life: I was spending time with the Lord and a specific sin was brought forth and made clear to me in my mind. I called out to God in repentence and sorrow, and when I was done confessing I rejoiced, for so clear was the sense of forgiveness. I knew it was forgiven--it was finished, it was no more--and that I would leave it behind and continue forward without it. The sin is long forgotten, but not that moment where I gained some understanding about forgiveness.
If I were in a town where there was only a Catholic church, I would not be opposed to going to confession before a priest, however (so long as you guys would let me), nor even to attending it, though I don't think I would convert and unfortunately that would deny me the Eucharist in a Catholic church. We Protestants do think a little differently from Catholics when we use the same Scriptures, but I've seen God work through both ways.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Also, thank you for your videos. I've enjoyed learning from them.
Thanks for this. For an adult coming back to faith, its hard to find information on how/why we do certain things in church
why do we begin by saying "bless me Father for i have sinned", when we know that we have intentionally sinned against God? Are we not supposed to ask for His mercy and forgiveness other than His blessings at that point?
Asking God to bless us is asking for his favor and protection. We ask for protection against future temptations so we can avoid sin later on. When it comes to requesting favor, we aren't asking him to favor us more than another human (God doesn't do that, he loves all equally). What I think it means is favor the present us and cleanse us of our sins, and forgive our past self for the sins we committed.
I haven't gone to confession for 2 years out of fear, anxiety, worry, being scared that the priest will judge me, and worrying about if the priest will tell someone else/ have my penance be telling someone else.
The priest is there to absolve your sins, not judge you. He may council you because he is still a shepherd of souls, but if you are sincere in your confession, you will walk out of there absolved from your sins, not judged for the. Also, the seal of the confessional means ABSOLUTE confidentiality. Nothing and no one can compel the priest to reveal what he hears, nor can he confirm/deny that you even came to confession. Besides, if you go anonymously, he need not even know who you are, and still he cannot discuss what he heard. So have a little faith, put a little trust and you will be happy you did.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Great advice
It's been 40 yrs since my Catholic confession last night from my confession as Anglican but I'm thinking of going to a Catholic confession what should I use last night was my last confession or 40 yrs since my last confession
joseph gallardo if you were baptized as a Catholic, then you are a Catholic who just hasn't been to Mass in however long it has been or received any other Sacraments. Once a Catholic, you are always a Catholic. Going to confession reconciles you to the Body of Christ in the Catholic Church. :)
Hi, Father: thanks for your clear explanation of how to confess. What would be your advice to a soul who wishes to confess regularly, say once a month (I think Our Lady of Medjugorye asked for this) but cannot think of any obvious sins. Perhaps, you have heard that Fulton Sheen is reported to have said hearing the confessions of nuns is liking being pelted with popcorn. A priest once told me he goes to confession every week which surprised me. I just wonder what should we confess when there are no mortal sins on your conscience and the venial ones just don't stand out in your memory after a month or so or even longer?). I feel that it would trivialise the Sacrament of Penance if we began "confessing" things like " I spoke sharply to an official on the phone twice in the last month; or, I drove at 35mph in a 30mph zone;" And how should you confess sins of omission?
All Of Us Christian’s Need penance ,repentance,
immaculacy Amen ✝️
In the church I went to, the confession room was actually “just” a room with two chairs, enabling two people to have a face to face discussion. (There also was a crucifix on the wall and some christian decoration)
What I’m trying to say is, I wasn’t aware at the time, that the whole “anonymous”-confession was apparently optional? Come to think of it, this may actually scare away some people, right?
Father, I have two questions not regarding confession, one, why don't preist preach bible prophecy? Two, why do other faiths bash the catholic faith so much. I am more confused than ever. Please help, Thank you
Jeff B. To your first question -- It depends on what you mean by "prophecy". If you mean "predicting the future" kind of prophecy, the Catholic Church does not engage in that activity and the prophets of the Bible, while "fulfilled" in Jesus, do not engage in predicting future events. God even has forbidden that kind of practice among His people.
However, if you mean the prophetic call for pure worship and greater justice and moral righteousness, many priests do preach that. Unfortunately, the biblical call for more authentic worship is often bogged down today between pre- and post-Vatican II divisions; Latin Mass or no Latin Mass, rather than the interior disposition of the priests and people offering worship; and calls for righteousness and social justice are often bogged down in liberal/conservative political conflicts rather than how the call of God in the Bible itself is applicable today. No one seems to want to touch morality with a ten-foot-pole these days because it is such a hot topic (especially sexual morality) and, is also bogged down in sexual socio-political debates rather than how the prophets held up illicit sexual union is a sign and symbol of adherence to paganism. However, there are a few courageous priests out there who manage to preach the Biblical prophets, and to be that prophetic presence today.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 How kind of you to respond directly to questions, addressing them fully and compassionately!
Butttrtr father why when i cane to confess i don t know what to say .my mind get empty and can t remeber my sins .i try to think them. But the i forget them
No need to be nervous. The priest is there to bestow God's forgiveness. Feel free to write them down if you need to. Take a deep breath. Take your time and each time you go it will get easier.
What should I say to the Father If it is my first confession and I am 16 years old for example?
Im terrible at this, i have to look up guides every time.
Hahahaha You are not alone!!
I see more & more Catholic who feel the Priest is not necessary anymore. We can confess our sin by talking to Jesus. He hear you and He is the one who forgives you. Because He knows you. The Priest doesn't know you or what your life is like.
czcams.com/video/a9Va8IO7Ivo/video.html -- Confessing to a priest is essential for the forgiveness of sins. Otherwise we deny the Incarnation.
There must be many that go up for Holy Communion without the sacrament of confession and those that will not go forward for communion because they feel sinful?
What if you feel you that you have sinned so bad that you just can’t confess ?
There is nothing that your priest has not heard before and there is nothing so bad that will not be forgiven when confessed in sincerity and truth. That is what is so special and necessary about confession. Forgiveness is guaranteed. And once God has forgiven you, the only challenge left is for you to forgive yourself.
So, "be not afraid" and go see your priest.
Thank you very much..
Wat if I have spent 5years without confession how do I remember all the sins for those years.???
I tryed to write them down .
Check the ten commandments again and try to think it over, it will surely come to your conciousness and you will remember.
JUSTICE mEDIA UG there are resources online that give a good guide for an examination of conscience.
I wonder what is the spiritual value of a provisional confession?
Thank you so much, this has helped me alot 🙏
Hello Father,
Hope this finds you well.
Great video. Just out of curiosity is there a particular prayer or extract you read from the Bible during Confession?
There is nothing in particular I pray during a Confession. I am usually listening to the person making their confession. While sitting in the confessional, waiting, I will often pray the breviary for the day. As for a good Biblical payer FOR Confession, I think the best Act of Contrition is the 51st Psalm, also known as the "Miserere".
Great, Thank you very much father for this very interesting insight. All the best.
As a Catholic I know we're I read in the Bible we have to go to a priest. They can forgive our sins, yes! But to who do we confess to the priest or to god? Then why not directly to god.
czcams.com/video/a9Va8IO7Ivo/video.html
Jesus said no man has the power to forgive sin but God alone
Actually it was the anti-Jesus scribes who said that (Mark 2:6-7). So you need to get your facts straight.
Then Jesus corrected their error (Mark 2:8-11) and everyone marveled that Jesus was introducing something new (Mark 2:12). So you need to keep reading.
Then Jesus told Peter and the Apostles, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven" (John 20:23). So you need to remember that there are more verses in the bible than the one you love to quote and which seems to be the only one anyone seems to know.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 I know there are more versus im still learning the word
Sorry if I sounded a little sharp in my response. I get that particular comment a lot (along with the "call no man [your] father passage." (which is another favorite of people)). Have a response for both but it gets tiresome after a while. So excuse any abruptness I exhibited.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 thats alright
❤
I have a booklet How to have a good confession but it doesn’t explain completely howto have a good confession. How can I buy one?
And call no your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Matthew 23:9
Time to start using your imagination more, or at least expand your knowledge of Scripture. Is this the ONLY passage people know? Do they even know what the passage says? No one calls me 'YOUR Father". No one addresses me as MY Father. They just call me "Father." The Bible was not written in English by Christian Protestants. 'Your Father" the term Jesus forbids, is a more formal term than simply the term "father". Even then, Jesus Himself uses the term repeatedly throughout the Gospels in reference to a persons father. So, unless Jesus contradicted Himself, in which case faith in Him is gravely misplaced, then He obviously meant it in a different sense than the one some biblical ignoramuses are fond of.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus called His Father "Father", but I don't see where He used it anywhere else. Not being combative. I went to both catholic and christian schools. Matthew 23 is a great chapter explaining religious leaders. Why does Jesus say "all ye are brethren" when He says not to call men "rabbi", "father" or "master"?
When Jesus says, "unless you hate Father and Mother", when he makes references to the "father" in his parables, and when he quotes the (Greek translation of) Genesis, "that is why a man leaves his father and mother..." he uses the same word he forbids when he says "Call no man on earth your father." The difference is the inclusion of the word "your" which is a much more formal term.
Watch the movie "the Ten Commandments" and note how characters address their fathers -- "Yes, my father", "is it true, my father?". That is more the spirit of what Jesus meant if we translate it to English. No one in English (or very few) addresses me or, for that matter, their dads as as "My Father", but only "father."
It is like the Spanish conjugation of verbs between the two forms of the word "you", the familiar "tu" and the formal "usted". We don't have that distinct form of conjugation in English. So it is hard for people who only speak English to comprehend the formal address for "Father" in another language, like Greek or Hebrew. It is the formal "YOUR father", or "MY father" in the same way we refer to God as "OUR Father" that Jesus means.
Unfortunately, many non-Catholic Christians who have a bone to pick don't understand this.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus had a bone to pick with the religious leaders of the day. Matthew 23 is very clearly about the scribes and pharisees. Not about calling you father, "father". He is specifically talking about them. The chapter is dedicated to warning the religious leaders about their hypocrisy. He mentions their fancy robes, wanting special seats at events and being called "Rabbi or Father".
Be that as it may, Jesus is still only prohibiting the FORMAL address of YOUR Father, as we address God as OUR Father. He is not forbidding the use of the term "Father". Still, his admonition to the Scribes and Pharisees does, as you point out, further call them out on seeking a title merely for the sake of having the title. Just as he criticizes them for piling heavy burdens but not lifting a finger to help carry them. He does not criticize the burden, only the failure or refusal to help carry them.
Father, I've been told that if we legitimately have forgotten some sins in confession that we DO have to confess those sins (mortal) the next time we go. Although that doesn't have to be that same day, but within a reasonable amount of time. I'm confused.
Mortal sins, yes, they always must be confessed. But, how likely is it that one will forget a mortal sin and not confess it, unless they did not know that it was a mortal sin at the time - which is one of the three conditions for it to be mortal ( 1) a grave matter, 2) full knowledge of the evil being committed, and 3) committed knowingly with full consent of the will)? Highly unlikely that a mortal sin will be "forgotten" and more likely, under those three mandatory conditions, that it was withheld.
Is it a valid confession if the priest is a believer in the novus ordo
Of course.
Ha... I'm pretty sure this was a trick question. 😐
Most definitely yes.
Hey William, how often do priests go to confession? I guess it would depend on the priest, but what is the average?
The obligation is the same as everyone else -- once a year during Lent. Most, however, go more often. Some with regularity some without. It depends on the priest, but my guess is that most, if not all, go a few times a year.
How can we make our confession this pandemic period
What happens if i go to confession after 7 years? Is it invalid? I say this because in the beginning of the video says that you should go to confession at least once a year.
The OBLIGATION is once a year. However, many people return to the Sacrament of Confession after many years, and then receive it regularly afterwards. If it has been awhile, nothing keeps you from going and nothing makes any honest confession invalid.
Like in my case i forgot when i did my last confession?What should i say?
We are to confess our rebellion to the LORD. ALL our sins, past, present AND future, were washed away when Jesus too ALL our sins upon His sinless self & paid the price for them when He surrendered His life on that cross on Calvary. Jesus blotted out the stain of ALL our sins on that cross. When we acknowledge that TRUTH & turn to Jesus to invite Him to guide us through life forever more, He instantly forgives us! From that moment of acknowledgement we are saved by God’s grace through Jesus’ redeeming blood! Read Psalm 51: 1 - 10. So God does NOT tell us that we must confess our sins to a priest here on earth. People who have been designated “priests” are sinners just like the rest of us. God tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! Our sins have been ALL washed away by Jesus’ sacrifice & He forgives anyone who acknowledges that He is our Lord and Saviour; that He is the ONLY “bridge” to God! 1 John 1: 9 tells us , “If we confess our sins to HIM, (God) he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” Certainly when we sin against each other, we are to confess our sins to each other & to pray for each other so that we may be healed. James 5: 16a tells us that. But nowhere does God tell us to confess our sins to Him through a priest. That claim cannot be backed up through scripture. We must each give a personal account to GOD ONLY! Romans 14: 12b.
Thank you for your passion and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of single verses in Scripture that say all we need to say to be saved. By doing so, we negate other Scripture that is equally as valid. The Catholic/catholic/universal church-the church of Christ, given to us by Jesus, himself, tells us many things. As Catholic Christians, we take fully into account ALL that Jesus said. Like many outside (and possibly inside, though errantly) believe that we 'worship' Mary, if we go only on the teachings of Paul, are we not extending a worship of all that he says, while rationalizing away instructions given to us by Jesus himself? Mary, creation of God, and therefore so we do not judge, is to be loved and honored as all human life is honored as made in the image of God, each with one's own gifts, Mary's gift is the ultimate gift, in that she was made to bring Jesus to us and we now can prayerfully ask her to bring us to Him, as his mother. Little is known about the life of Mary, but we know she was the primary human vessel God used in Salvation history, to come to us as part of a family. It is a dangerous thing to assume anything less than honorable, for by doing so, we judge another human and the gifts given them by God.
We shall indeed give an account to God and for us to follow the commandments, and to Imitate our Lord, we shall honor our father and mother, and thereby, since God gave Jesus an earthly father and mother, as He honored them, so too shall we. It is of utmost respect. We are family in God's kingdom. It is not only us and God. If it were, why would he have made us family and come into an earthly family.
Jesus said “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:22-23
Consider the "you" he is speaking to.
For a clearer explanation on confession, see www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-confession-in-scripture
Esther Miller read (John 20, 21-23) (2 Corinthians 5, 18-20) The first Christians confessed (James 5, 16) (acts 19, 18)
Priests, being men like us, can understand us and help us to advance in the way of our own sanctification. (Hebrews 5 1-2)
On the other hand, the idea of confessing directly with God is not biblical. In the Old Testament it is said that the confession of sins is made in the presence of a priest, in a cultic and liturgical context (Lv 5, 1-13, Nm 5, 5-10).
He who in any of these ways has become guilty, will confess his guilt and present to the Lord, as a reparation for the sin committed, a female of the flock, sheep or goat, in sacrifice of expiation. The priest will thus make you atone for your sin, and you will be forgiven. (Lv 5, 5-6)
I always have trouble remembering the Act Of Contrition.
I try to say it in my own words expressing, 1) sincere sorrow, 2) acknowledgment of God's goodness, and 3) a determination to do better in the future.
Who was the editor on this video? They obviously didn't watch it back. The priest screwed up the 'How Do You Begin' part and started again. Dude needs to confess to being a sloppy editor.
A minor glitch which we both overlooked. We decided to leave it in to see how long it would be before someone pointed it out. You're the first! LOL
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Haha! It was very quick and you handled it very professionally! God Bless Father and greetings from Australia.
If anyone else point it out to you, you could always say that (since it is in a "how to" video) I was showing the best way to stop and "start over" if you begin Confession wrong. ;-)
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Hahah!
Can u give an easier explanation for a teenager
The basic outline of this video and of part 2 of "how to go to confession" gives a basic outline on what to do when you go to confession. The rest of my explanations are about why we do what we do.
Is it mandatory to say our state of life and when our last confession was? Does not doing so invalidate the confession?
Confess grave sins. All you recall.
Review the 10 Commandments.
You dont report anything to government officials do you?
No priest reports to ANYONE what he hears in Confession. He can't even say that someone did NOT come to Confession. Everything is held in absolute confidentiality.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 thank you for the information. Ive never confessed my sins to anyone of the church in my life and i need someone to talk to about what I've done and how to make it up to the families I've devastated. I know im a child of god, but I've done something severe in my past because i went down the wrong path in life and ive seen enough bloodshed to last me a lifetime and i want to make amends with god first before i go forward and admit my sins to the families ive forsaken.
Father but if i have sin butttt i confess it many time becaue its was big but becaues i am soooo sorry and did t mean to hurt god and any one am i sining agin
It is only necessary to confess a sin again if you commit the sin again. Deep deep remorse does not negate the sacrament, and the absolute forgiveness of God it bestows. Have faith in that forgiveness and work hard to overcome that sin so as to not commit it again. Allow your deep remorse to guide you away from sin; but remorse and sorrow are not sins in and of themselves.
What is General absolution?
General Absolution is rarely given, except in circumstances in which there is a chance of mass death in which there is no time or opportunity for individual confession and absolution -- For example in a time of war, prior to battle. It is rare and is not allowed under normal circumstances.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 So it's not allowed to be given like in a regular mass?
No.
and BTW - the Penitential rite is not the Sacrament of Confession. We only "call to mind out sins", but do not confess our sins. So the "absolution" given at the end of it - "may almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life." - is not the same as the absolution in Confession. So it is not considered "general absolution."
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Thank you for clarifying this Fr. William Nicholas. I was going to ask you another question regarding the sins that we committed every day. But it's kind of personal that I don't want to mention here.
I was refused absolution because I am involved withh a man
Can I confess my sins to other people?
Only ordained priests (and bishops) have the faculties to administer absolution in the name of the Church, to whom Jesus gave the power to forgive sins (John 20:23).
@@fr.williamnicholas955 Jesus said that to his disciples, so are catholic priests and bishops given the same powers as the disciples were in john 20:23? Thoughts on james 5:16 "Confess faults one to another....". This has always confused me. Thanks
The Apostles are succeeded by the Bishops and the presbyters (priests) are extensions of the bishops in terms of sacramental ministry. This is also the case for the deacons.
All three are spoken of in the New Testament, particularly in the Letters to Timothy (I forget which, unless it is both.) and, I believe Titus.
The Bishops administer all seven sacraments, the priests can administer five (not Confirmation, without a special delegation, like at Easter, and not Holy Orders), while the deacon can administer Baptism and Matrimony.
James says "confess your sins to one another..." because he is also speaking from a reference point of the very close relationship Christians had with one another at that time because they were brother/sisters in Christ. Something that has, unfortunately been lost. (After all, do you see that same closeness and respect of privacy among many parish groups nowadays?)
However, with the growth of Christianity, the development of the Sacrament in Church tradition has limited it to the privacy of the confessor who is an ordained minister of the Sacrament. Time was when in some places sins were publicly confessed to the gathered assembly. But over time it developed to private confession in which the confessor is formally bound by the absolute seal of the confessional, where a general assembly, or "one another" are not, and the absolution of sins is assured and guaranteed in the prayer of absolution and blessing, and the priest/bishop, acting in persona Christi, the confession is, in fact, being given to Christ, through the ordained minister (incarnational interchange, human to human). This is not the case with lay Catholics.
Hope this makes sense.
Is homosexuality a sin?
I like this guy, and it all sounds good. But my priest has to zip around three churches every Sunday to say Mass, there is no way he could hear all our personal confessions every Saturday.
Near the start of our Mass, we have a "general confession". For all the sins we commit every week, that should be enough, shouldn't it? If something is gravely troubling your conscience, that's the time for individual confession.
My priest now advertises "confessions by request". Believe me, it sounds better in Spanish than in English.
Isn't it time, as grown-up Catholics, we took charge of our own consciences, rather than outsourcing them to priests? OK, call me radical protestant, I've been called worse.
That point is clarified in the video.
No need at all to tell some strange man who claims to have the power to forgive sins, the secrets and sins in your heart. ALL born again believers in Jesus Christ are priests, and have full and complete access to the one and only High Priest Jesus Christ. Forget about telling this guy your intimate thoughts, especially women, it only pollutes his mind with things he has no right to hear. I Peter 2:9, l John 1:9, Eph. 2:8-9, Romans5:1, l John 5:13
It's no claim. I'll see your Peter, John and Paul and raise you one Jesus Christ -- "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you hold bound are held bound" (John 20:23) and "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19); and he didn't say this to ALL "born again" believers. Just the leadership and their presbyters. (and BTW, nowhere in Scripture does it say Christians must be "born again" (go ahead, I dare you. I'm ready!)) Need to read the ENTIRE Scripture, not just the passages you like to misquote.
Well Jesus Christ certainly believes we need to confess our sins in the Confessional to the Priest who is in Persona Christi. He exhorts through His Priests.
Jesus Christ saves us baptized with The Holy Spirit and Holy Water from original sin. Sins committed after Baptism have to be confessed, we have to receive absolution and serve our Penance to be forgiven by God. That’s why He instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). 2 Cor 5:18-20, Jn 20:21-23, Mt 16:18-19, 18:17-18.
I've come to the conclusion that the Eucharist isn't validly consecrated during some Novus Ordo masses. If so, then there's no need to confess anything.
You have neither the credentials, nor the authority to make that conclusion. For that matter, neither do I. There is only one spirit that would make anyone draw such conclusions, and it's not a holy one. Time to check any arrogant presumption at the door and start to approach our God with the humility He requires and the faith (without personal classification) in both the Son He sent, and in the Church His Son founded, and with whom He promised He would always be.
Yo confess your sin once a year😂😂😂,confess your sin after you realize that you bulldoze God law.There is no pattern that stated in the bible in tha new testament that someone need to go to a priest to confess.Who is the priest?.The bible said we are all priest..a royal priesthood.Father?.the bible said call no one on earth Father because you had only one father,which is in heaven.The bible also said there is only one mediator between man and God,that is Jesus.Confessing to priest of padre is a waste of time.
At LEAST once a year.
Yes, there is "one mediator", but we gotta do it the way the "one mediator" told us to do it rather then selectively ignore much of what the "one mediator" said.
And one thing the "one mediator" did NOT say is "call no man father." The "one mediator" said "call no one on earth YOUR Father". There's a difference (and remember the Bible was not written yesterday, nor in English, nor in America by anti-Catholic Protestants).
BTW - If you actually READ the Bible you will note that in the New Testament people DID confess their sins to John the Baptist (gospels) and to the Apostles (Acts), not to "everyone"; and 1 John and James tell people to confess their sins (gotta do it to someone). And Jesus said to the Apostles (not to everyone): "Whose sins YOU forgive [not whose sins anyone forgives] are forgiven..."
Everything you wrote?... I've heard it all before. It's all too easy, and it really gets tiresome! Come up with something new, that no one else has said, pleeeease!
@@fr.williamnicholas955 matt:23:9 "father" in this verse applies to religious leaders,not our biological fathers as in eph 6:2,children are told to "honour thy father and mother".
Christ is condemning the scribes and phariseess.
Matt:23 potrays these religious leaders with their pretense of piety,their long fancy robes,their love of being noticed and of sitting at the head of a table.
(The catholic father has all this character too,in the church they will sit on a special like throne chair).
They prided themselves in being called as "rabbi" and "father".
Christ rebuked these religious leaders,the scribes and pharisees for their hypocrites.
(Do you think Christ,going to be silent,today,to the catholic priests and father).
Read 2 cor:13-15 Christ speaks about this hypocrites.
@@fr.williamnicholas955 confession to priest is nowhere taught in the new covenent.
1 peter 2:5-9 described believers as "Holy Priesthood" and "Royal Priesthood".
In the old covenent,priest are mediators between the people and God.
But that is no longer neccessary because of Jesus sacrifice.
Now we can approach God directly,without the use of a human mediator.
Why?,because Jesus is our great high priest (heb 4:14-15,10:21)
And the only mediator between us and God 1tim 2:5
in the new testament teaches that there are to be elders 1tim 3:1-7,titus 1:6-9
Deacons 1tim 3:8-13
Pastors eph 4:11
but not priests
Believers are told in 1 john 1:9 to confess their sin to God.
Pleeeeeeesssseeeeee check the fact,what i given you is with bible backup not traditions.
Sorry to disappoint you but Jesus did not say "call no religious leaders your father." He said "call no one on EARTH your father." Either way he did not forbid the use of the word "Father" because he uses the same Greek word when he says "that is why a man leaves his FATHER and mother...." and "unless you hate your FATHER and other..." So obviously it was not an outright prohibition of the word FATHER, but rather of the formal use YOUR father, OUR father, etc, that is reserved to God. (and btw, I'm not a pharisee. So by your logic he is not talking about his own priests, but the Jewish leaders.)
Sorry to further disappoint you but it was AFTER Jesus's sacrifice that he said to the apostles, "whose sins YOU forgive are forgiven" and it was AFTER His sacrifice that people confessed to the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles.
1 john 1:9 -- "If we confess our sins, he is faithful..." Sorry, he never says confess "to God" So logically, we confess our sins to those who have the authority to hear and forgive in Jesus' name -- John 20:23
Keep trying. I've heard it all before (Yaaawn!) I know it's hard to come up with something original, but Catholics have been around a lot longer. We've heard it all before.