What is the Sacrament of Mercy?
The Sacrament of Mercy is known by different names (Confession, Penance, Reconciliation, Healing), but whatever we call it, at its heart is the superabundant love of God, the God who wants us to return to him so much that he gave his only Son to die on the Cross for us (cf. John 3:16). Confession can often be one of the final hurdles for many Christians to overcome in their own conversion story. And yet, it is the one which will open their hearts to the abundant grace of the Father through his Son, by the workings of the Holy Spirit.
Why do we need this Sacrament?
In a world where so many of us have turned to outside sources for healing of body and soul, we always come up short because we are searching in the wrong places. A spiritual restlessness persists because only the Lord provides the healing we need. The Catechism tells us the following about the sacrament of mercy: “The Lord Jesus Christ, physician of our souls and bodies, who forgave the sins of the paralytic and restored him to bodily health, has willed that his Church continue, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his work of healing and salvation, even among her own members” (CCC 1421). This is not to say that we don’t need doctors and medicine, psychologists and counsellors. These are all good and are gifts from the Lord. The point is that we have to look to God first, and then from that grace, all other things will flow.
If we’ve been away from confession or the other sacraments for some time we may very likely start to feel we are doing fine and that our relationship with God is good as long as we do our best and don’t hurt anyone. While of course these assumptions give us some peace of mind, the difficulty is that we are measuring goodness and love by the world’s standards and not by the standards of the One who is truly Good, the One who is truly Love. When we turn to the sacrament of mercy, we not only receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, but we receive the grace to live in His love. We come to open our hearts to what is truly good, and we are carried along in our journey toward the loving and merciful Father. When we look at our moral lives with human eyes we are looking at a dim reflection in a mirror (cf. 1Cor 13:12), but as we draw closer to the Lord through the sacraments, our eyes are opened and the light becomes brighter with which we see and judge our moral actions.
“I’ve been saved in baptism; why do I need to tell a priest my sins?”
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Since the new life of grace received in Baptism does not abolish the weakness of human nature nor the inclination to sin (that is, concupiscence), Christ instituted this sacrament for the conversion of the baptized who have been separated from him by sin” (Compendium, 297).
“Didn’t the Church just invent Confession? It’s not in the Bible!”
There are many biblical passages which tell of Jesus giving authority to the Church. The most notable and direct passage on the sacrament of penance is in John’s Gospel. Jesus addresses the disciples directly: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained’ (John 20:22-23).
Because of the fact that each time we sin, we move further away from God, and close ourselves off from His grace, we need the sacrament to restore that relationship. (Not that God doesn’t freely offer us His grace even when we don’t deserve it, but when we sin, we close our own hearts to its workings, and the power of the Holy Spirit). “The whole power of the sacrament of penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace, and joining us with Him in an intimate friendship’ (CCC 1468).
What is the definition of sin?
The Catechism teaches that “[s]in is an offence against reason, truth and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbour caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as ‘an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law’.” (CCC 1849). At the core of sin is a rejection of God and the refusal to accept his love.
Original Sin
Original Sin is a truth of faith which can fascinate, infuriate, and frustrate in equal measure. As a Christian teaching on the human person, it can even seem old-fashioned and somewhat embarrassing to modern sensibilities. And yet, Original Sin can be found every single day on the global news streams of the world. It is the state of deprivation of original holiness and justice. It is “contracted” from our first parents but not “committed” by us. The serpent was devious, cleverly tempting our first parents. They fell for it, and so withdrew from their Creator out of shame and embarrassment. As a result, for the first time ever, a form of debilitating alienation entered the relationship between God and humanity. As a consequence, the Garden Paradise lost its original goodness and innocence.
If we take Original Sin to be a drop of poison which enters the human blood system, then Jesus, through Mary, enters that blood system to correct and purify it. Original Sin – indeed, all sin – is a poison in us. It projects us towards alienation from God, society and even from ourselves. Shame and guilt build up inside us despite the promise and yearning for freedom. Original Sin is the inclination (concupiscence) to sin which can and does break out into actual sin in us. It is the first sin which became the original sin. It is Mary’s fidelity and Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice that permits God to untie the knot which the serpent causes in us. Therefore, the fall of our first parents is called a “happy fault” because it “gained for us so great a Redeemer” (Liturgy of the Easter Vigil).
Actual Sin
Actual sin is different from Original Sin, but results from it. Actual sin is sin committed personally. Catholic moral tradition has divided actual sin into two categories according to gravity: venial and mortal. Venial sin harms the relationship between God and the human person. Mortal sin completely breaks the relationship between God and the human person. As a member of the Church, it is necessary to confess all mortal sins which we have not previously been absolved from. It is also beneficial to our soul to confess venial sin to the best of our ability.
For a sin to by mortal, three conditions must together be met:
Grave matter: The act must be serious as defined by the Church
Full Knowledge: You must be aware this act will separate you from God
Deliberate consent: You know it is grave and choose to do it anyway.
If all three conditions are not met, the sin is not mortal. However, even if a sin is not mortal but venial, deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. The fact that venial sin does not completely sever our relationship with God does not mean it can be dismissed as unimportant.
The only ordinary means of absolution from mortal sin is individual Confession to a duly authorised priest, who will absolve sins in the name of God the Father of mercies.
Find inspiration in the prayer of Saint Faustina, an apostle of Divine Mercy in our times:
Source: http://sjnaustin.org
“Help me, O Lord,
…that my eyes may be merciful, so that I will never be suspicious or judge by appearances, but always look for what is beautiful in my neighbours’ souls and be of help to them;
… that my ears may be merciful, so that I will be attentive to my neighbours’ needs, and not indifferent to their pains and complaints;
… that my tongue may be merciful, so that I will never speak badly of others, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all;
… that my hands may be merciful and full of good deeds;
… that my feet may be merciful, so that I will hasten to help my neighbour, despite my own fatigue and weariness;
… that my heart may be merciful, so that I myself will share in all the sufferings of my neighbour”
(cf. Diary of St Maria Fautina Kowalska, 163).
