Importance in Holy Mass & Confessions
Holy Mass
The importance of Holy Mass should be first than any other material blessings that you may receive in your day to day life. Just as you take food to nourish your body every day; in the same way you need to nourish your soul every day.
Why Should I Go To Mass Every Day?
“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer! (Pope Paul VI)
For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death. (Revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the great)
Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than with out the Mass.
The Cure d’Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.
A great doctor of the Church, St, Anselm, declares that a single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Leonard of Port Maurice supports this statement by saying that one Mass before death may be more profitable than many after it.
“The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death.”(Pope Benedict XV)
Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God’s Goodness and asked Our Lord, “How can I thank you?” Our Lord replied, “Attend one mass.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary once told her faithful servant Alain: “My Son so loves those who assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that, if it were necessary He would die for them as many times as they’ve heard Masses.”
Receiving of the Holy Eucharist in communion as according to St. Augustine ’s teaching is the means of reparation for our daily shortcoming.
St. Peter Julian commented that just as the angels in heaven need the divine vision of God to sustain their lives, in the same way the receiving of the Holy Eucharist in communion at every celebration we attend is essential for us to sustain the strength of our lives.
For Jesus had said” I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves.”
St. Thomas Aquinas said that celebration of Holy Mass is as equal to the death of Jesus suffered on the Holy Cross of Calvary .
According to St. Bernard (The contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi) to participate in a Holy Mass devotedly is more and rather very important than selling one’s whole possessions and giving to the poor or going on pilgrimage all over the world.
At each Holy Mass we are called to measure ourselves against the ideal of communion which the Acts of the Apostles paints as a model for the Church in every age. It is the Church gathered around the Apostles, called by the word of God, capable of sharing in spiritual goods, but in material goods as well. (John Paul II)
Because there is nothing in this world which is as really worth and valuable and precious as that of a Holy Mass.
Confession
Confession: The confession of one’s sins is a religious practice important to many faiths.
The intent of this sacrament is to provide healing for the soul as well as to regain the grace of God, lost by sin.
Luke. 7:47 “I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But, whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love”. This is the basic underlying secret of the forgiveness of sins, Isaiah 1: 18 “The Lord says” now, let us settle the matter, you once stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your sins are deep red, you will be as white as wool. Jeremiah 31: 34 “None of them will have to teach his fellow country men to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I no longer remember their wrongs. I the Lord has spoken.” Through the pure and perfect sacrifice of God’s only Son, God forgives us our sins that we may love Him more. All your stains of sin will be wiped away, depending upon the depth of your love for your God.
Through the participation of the sacrament of Reconcialtion, you were trying to understand the Holy will of God. Your love for God should lead you for true reconciliation. Confession once a month. How should this love be? (Mathew 13: 44). To love God is to find and embrace Him as your greatest possession. Then, only then God will have the first place in your life. Hence when you focus your eyes on Jesus your obstacles will be removed, you can gain victory in your life.
EXAMINATION OF YOUR CONSCIENCE AND CATHOLIC DOCTRINE
The Ten Commandments
- I am the Lord Thy God. Thou shall not have strange gods before me.
- Thou shall not take the Name of the Lord thy God in Vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
- Honor thy father and thy mother.
- Thou shall not kill.
- Thou shall not commit adultery.
- Thou shall not steal.
- Thou shall not bear false witness.
- Thou shall not covert thy neighbor’s wife.
- Thou shall not covert thy neighbor’s goods.
The Two Greatest Commandments of GOD; which leads to sin; when you dont:-
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your heart.
- You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The Precepts of the church; which leads to sin; when you dont :-
- Attend Mass on Sundays (varies country to country – obligation masses can be shifted with the Approval from Vatican on country’s public holidays) – In Kuwait, it is on Fridays, Saturday Evenings & Sundays
- Holy Days of Obligation and rest from working days (servile) labor.
- Confess your sins at least once a year.
- Receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist atleast during the Easter Season.
- Observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church
- Help to provide for the needs of the church.
Prayer before Confession
Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind that I may clearly know my sins. Move my heart that I may be sincerely sorry for them, honestly confess them and firmly resolve to amend my life. Spirit of Wisdom, grant me to see the malice of sin and my ingratitude towards You, the all-loving God. Spirit of Fortitude, help me to make whatever sacrifice is needed to avoid sin in the future. Amen
A DEEPER AID TO YOUR EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE ON 10 Commandment of the Church
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
? Do I seek to love God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength (Dt 6:5)? Do I put anything or anyone above God? Do I pray daily?
? Have I had any involvement with the occult, witchcraft, wicca, ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, new age crystals, fortune telling, or the like? Have I put faith in horoscopes?
? Have I received Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
? Have I abused the Sacrament of Penance by lying to the priest or deliberately not confessing a mortal sin?
? Have I denied a truth of the faith out of concern for the respect or opinion of others?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
? Have I used God’s holy name irreverently?
? Have I blasphemed God, the Church, Mary, the saints, or sacred places or things?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
? Do I try to keep Sunday as a day of prayer, rest, and relaxation, avoiding unnecessary work?
? Have I deliberately come late or left early from Mass without a good reason?
4. Honor your father and your mother.
? Do I honor and respect my parents?
? Have I deliberately hurt my parents?
? Do I treat my children with love and respect?
? Do I support and care for the well-being of all family members?
? Have I neglected family duties?
? Do I honor and obey my lawful superiors?
5. You shall not kill.
? Have I deliberately harmed anyone?
? Have I had an abortion or encouraged an abortion?
? Have I attempted suicide or seriously considered it?
? Have I abused drugs or alcohol?
? Have I led anyone to sin through bad example or through direct encouragement?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
For the married
? Am I faithful to my spouse in thought and action?
? Have I used artificial contraception,? or been sterilized?
? Was I married outside the Church without proper permission of the Church?
For the unmarried
? Have I engaged in sexual activity with anyone of either sex?
For all
? Have I deliberately viewed pornographic magazines, videos or internet websites?
? Have I masturbated?
? Have I used impure language or told impure jokes?
? Do I dress modestly?
7. You shall not steal.
? Have I stolen or accepted stolen goods?
? Have I deliberately destroyed the property of others?
? Have I cheated anyone of what I owe?
? Do I gamble excessively?
? Do I share what I have with the poor and the Church according to my means?
? Have I pirated materials: videos, music, software?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
? Have I lied? Have I sworn falsely?
? Have I plagiarized or been academically dishonest?
? Have I gossiped? Have I revealed secrets or confidential information without good reason?
? Have I ruined the good name of others by spreading lies or maliciously revealing their faults and sins?
9. You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife.
? Have I deliberately and consciously permitted sexual thoughts about anyone besides my spouse?
? Do I guard my imagination and senses?
? Have I watched shows, plays, pictures or movies that contain impure scenes with the deliberate intention of being aroused by them? Am I responsible about what I read?
10. You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods.
? Am I envious of the possessions, abilities, talents, beauty, or success of others? You shall love your neighbor as yourself.? Do I love my neighbor? Is there anyone whom I do not love or refuse to love? Have I wished harm or misfortune on anyone?
? Do I forgive from my heart those who have hurt me? Do I harbor hatred or grudges? Do I pray for my enemies?
? Have I ridiculed or humiliated others?
? Do I seek to help others in need?
? Do I love myself as God loves me? Do I care for my physical, emotional, and spiritual health?
? Do I forgive myself for my sins after bringing them to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Precepts of the Church
? Have I deliberately missed Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of obligation without a serious reason?
? Do I go to confession at least once a year when I have serious sins to confess?
? Do I receive Holy Communion, at least once during Eastertime?
? Do I take part in the major feasts celebrating Our Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints?
? Do I abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent (for ages 14 and over) and fast on one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (for ages 18-59)? Do I fast for one hour before Holy Communion (water and medicine allowed)?
? Do I contribute to support the material needs of the Church
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE FURTHER
Did I deny or doubt God’s existence?
Did I refuse to believe God’s revelation?
Did I believe in horoscopes, fortune telling, dreams, good luck charms or reincarnation?
Did I deny I was a Catholic?
Did I abandon the Catholic Faith?
Did I despair of or presume of God’s mercy?
Did I neglect prayer for a long time?
Did I fail to pray daily?
Did I blaspheme God or take God’s Name in vain, curse or break an oath or vow?
Did I miss mass on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Am I always reverent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament?
Was I inattentive at Mass?
Did I arrive at Mass late?
Did I leave Mass early?
Did I do unnecessary servile work on Sunday?
Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?
Did I neglect my duties to my Husband, Wife, children or parents?
Did I fail to actively take and interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I failed to educate myself concerning the teachings of the church?
Did I give a full day’s work in return for a full day’s pay?
Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
Was I the cause of anyone abandoning the Catholic Faith?
Did I give a fair wage to my employee(s)?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful toward others or lazy?
Did I give bad example, abuse drugs, drink alcohol to excess, fight or quarrel?
Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
Have I had or advised anyone to have an abortion?
Did I participate in or approve of the grave evil known as “mercy killing” or euthanasia?
Did I attempt suicide?
Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Did I dress immodestly?
Did I use impure stories or listen to them?
Did I deliberately read impure material?
Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with another (adultery, fornication or sodomy)?
Did I marry or advice another to marry outside of the church?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?
Was I unfaithful to my marriage vows?
Have I kept company with someone else’s spouse?
Did I practice artificial birth control or was I or my spouse permanently sterilized (tubal ligation or vasectomy)?
Did I steal, cheat, help of encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods?
Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
Did I fulfill my contracts, give or accept bribes, pay my bills, rashly gamble or speculate or deprive my family of the necessities of life?
Did I tell lies, deliberately in order to deceive or injure others?
Did I commit perjury?
Did I vote in accordance with a properly informed conscience, in a way consistence with the teachings of the church, in regard to the sanctity of human life and human life issues?
Was I uncharitable in word or deed?
Did I gossip or reveal the false and sins of others?
Did I fail to keep secrets that I should have kept?
Did I meat on the Fridays during lent or on Ash Wednesday?
Did I fast as required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season?
Did I fail to confess my sins at least once a year?
Did I go to Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
Did I go to Holy Communion without fasting for one hour or more from food and drink (water and medicine are permitted)?
Did I make a bad confession?
Did I deliberately not tell all the sins I committed during one of my confessions?
Did I fail to contribute to the support of the church?
Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God’s mercy?
Have I avoided the profane use of God’s name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at, or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer for a long time?
Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported in any way abortion, “mercy killing,” or suicide?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?
Have I been just in my responsibilities to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race or other reasons?
Have I been chaste in thought and word? Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV, pictures, reading?
Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
Have I spoken ill of any other person? Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?
Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?
Have I desired what belongs to other people? Have I wished ill on another?
Have I been faithful to sacramental living (Holy Communion and Penance)?
Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?
Have I done penance by abstaining and fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?
Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I accept God’s will for me?
How to go to Confession
The Priest will greet you
The penitent says: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” You then say how long it has been since your last Confession.
The Penitent tells the priest his/her sins and answers any questions.
The priest will give you some advice and will assign you a penance.
The penitent will next pray the Act of Contrition (see prayer below)
The priest then gives the penitent absolution.
The priest will then say “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
The penitent responds: “His mercy endures for ever.” The priest will then dismiss you
During Confession:
After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.
Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _________ weeks (months, years) ago.”
The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture.
Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, “I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life.”
Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:
ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.
At the End of Confession:
Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest.
As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he closes by saying, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,” answer, “For His mercy endures forever.”
PRAYER AFTER CONFESSION
Almighty and Merciful God, Whose mercy is boundless and everlasting and of Whose goodness the riches are infinite, I thank You because You have so graciously pardoned all my sins and restored Your Heavenly favor. I am awed by Your divine compassion and the incomprehensible love of Your Son, which has led Him to institute so gentle and powerful a remedy for sins. In union with all the gratitude that has ever ascended to You from truly penitent hearts, I proclaim Your merciful praises on behalf of all Heaven, on earth and in purgatory, for ever and ever. Amen.
After Confession
Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.
Do your assigned Penance, can even recite the above prayer “Prayer after confession”
Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often, even once a Month or every two months, or before your birthday or travel or family celebration or sorrow, its always nice to regain the grace of God as a Family. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven.
This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.
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