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If Christians confess their sins directly to God why did Jesus give the sacrament of penance?
On the first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to His Apostles, "breathed on them," and said, "'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.'" (John 20:21-23) Beyond this account of the Lord Jesus' institution of the Sacrament of Penance, Scripture does not give us His reasons for doing as He did. We do know that the Jesus is infinite love and mercy, and that anything He chose to do during His time on Earth, He must have done because of His great love for us and because of the infinite mercy He has in His heart towards us. Knowing you have done something wrong is a miserable feeling. Police detectives know that, if they wait long enough, a criminal who is not entirely a lost soul - who still has a conscience - will sooner or later confess to his crime. It's not necessary for the police to "rough up" or "give the business to" any but hardened criminals; most people with a conscience are bothered when they have done something wrong, and feel the need to tell somebody. Shakespeare wrote, "Conscience doth make cowards of us all." (Hamlet, Act III, sc 1) It is true that we confess our sins to God, but the Catholic Church teaches that when we sin, we sin against the entire body of Christ, which is the Church, and we must be reconciled with God and with our neighbor through the Church. This is one of the things the Sacrament of Penance does: it allows the penitent to "get it off his chest", and at the same time, through the ministry of the priest, allows him to become reconciled not only with God, but with the entire Church. The priests are specially trained to help sinners with their burdens. Sometimes, a young man or a young woman may believe that they are truly repentant, but there may be in the back of their minds a certain cavalier attitude of "so what? Everyone's doing it." If this be the case, then the sinner's heart is not sincerely repentant. We know that God will not be mocked. On hearing this person's confession, the priest may ask some gentle questions and pose some hard truths intended to cause the penitent to wake up and really see the sin in what he or she had been doing for what it is. This is an inestimable grace of the Sacrament. Similarly, there may be penitents who are troubled with all manner of faults and failings and weigh themselves down with imagined sins that really aren't there at all. Priests are trained also to deal gently and considerately with souls in need of comfort and compassion, and will put their minds at ease about the state of their soul. The more I think of all the wonderful benefits of the Sacrament of Penance, the more I think to myself how very wise Our Lord Jesus is!
What else can I help you with?
Three names for sacrament which you confess sins?
The name of the sacrament which you confesses your sins is called the Sacrament of Penance. Its three names are reconciliation, penance, and confession.
What do christians believe about reconcilation?
It is called the sacrament of Penance, the sacrament of Reconciliation, the sacrament of Forgiveness, the sacrament of Confession, and the sacrament of Conversion.
Can catholic sins be forgiven just asking god?
Venial sins can be, but mortal sins can only be forgiven through the sacrament of penance. Although it is recommended to confess venial sins in the sacrament of penance as well.
What kind of sin is necessary to receive the sacrament of penance when?
You can receive the sacrament of Penance if you have any sin including not only mortal sins but venial sins as well. If you have sin, it is recommended but not necessary to receive the sacrament (Except for mortal sins where you must confess it)
Why do you confess your sins to a priest in the sacrament of penance?
Roman Catholic AnswerBecause that is what God made the ordinary vehicle for His forgiveness.
Which branch of Christianity believes in confession?
Usually all christians believe in confession.More Information:While all Christians believe in confession, the Roman Catholic Church recognizes the Sacrament of Confession, in which church members are expected to confess their sin directly to a priest, who is believed to have authority assign acts of contrition (penance) and to absolve the penitent of their sin.Protestant Christians believe that each Christian individual has the right and priviledge to confess their sin directly to God through prayer, and that no other mediator is required other than Jesus Christ. Protestants believe that their sin is forgiven by grace through Jesus Christ without additional acts of penance.
How do you receive penance?
You receive penance through the sacrament of reconciliation. After committing a grave sin you would confess you sin to a Holy Father. Then you would ask him for a penance. A grave sin is considered one that breaks any of the Ten Commandments.
What is the traditional way doing penance?
Roman Catholic AnswerIf by penance you are referring to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the traditional way of doing this is to confess your sins to a priest while you are kneeling behind a screen in a confessional.
What kind of sacrament is reconciliation?
It is where the person confesses their sins and then they are forgiven by God. The person then does penance. The person must be truly sorry for their before they confess them.
Can you say confession when you pray at night?
Of course you can confess your sins when you pray at night, as a matter of fact, you are urged to do this every night before going to bed. However, do not confuse this with the sacrament of Penance (popularly known as Confession). The Sacrament of Penance (aka Confession) requires a priest.
A good sacrament for Lent is?
The Sacrament of Penance.
What kind of sacrament is the sacrament of penance and reconcilliation?
It is a sacrament of Healing.
