catholic question?

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The sacrament of Reconciliation is tough for some people because we actually have to admit to another human being that we did something wrong.  But if you think about it -- sin is not just between you and God.  What you do affects other people and you might not even be aware of  how it does.  And the priest, as a representative of the community, reminds us of that.

And Jesus did give the authority to forgive sins to the apostles and their successors (John 20:23).  So in addition to representing the community, the priests acts in the place of Christ.  I also see other advantages to the Sacrament of Confession:

* We learn humility.  Talking directly to God sort of gets around the idea that we actually caused harm to other people, even if that harm is just the fact that we're not the best human being we could be.  For many people, this is the biggest obstical -- to admit to someone that we're sinners.  But like an alcoholic needs to admit they have a problem in order to get better -- admitting our problems to another person can also help us get better too.

* We receive grace -- and grace is a very real thing.  It makes our souls ready for heaven and helps us grow stronger in faith. 

* We are assured that our sins are forgiven and we don't have to rely on some subjective feeling.

* We can obtain some advice on how to avoid sinning in the future.


But the most important reason is because Jesus told us to.  There are actually several places in the Bible where it talks about confessing our sins to humans and not just to God.  There's a website (http://www.scripturecatholic.com/) that lists the various biblical passages that relate to Catholic teachings.  For example, here's a list of biblical references to the necessity of oral confessions:

James 5:16 - James clearly teaches us that we must “confess our sins to one another,” not just privately to God. James 5:16 must be read in the context of James 5:14-15, which is referring to the healing power (both physical and spiritual) of the priests of the Church. Hence, when James says “therefore” in verse 16, he must be referring to the men he was writing about in verses 14 and 15 – these men are the ordained priests of the Church, to whom we must confess our sins.

Acts 19:18 - many came to orally confess sins and divulge their sinful practices. Oral confession was the practice of the early Church just as it is today.

Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5 - again, this shows people confessing their sins before others as an historical practice (here to John the Baptist).

1 Tim. 6:12 - this verse also refers to the historical practice of confessing both faith and sins in the presence of many witnesses.

1 John 1:9 - if we confess are sins, God is faithful to us and forgives us and cleanse us. But we must confess our sins to one another.

Num. 5:7 - this shows the historical practice of publicly confessing sins, and making public restitution.

2 Sam. 12:14 - even though the sin is forgiven, there is punishment due for the forgiven sin. David is forgiven but his child was still taken (the consequence of his sin).

Neh. 9:2-3 - the Israelites stood before the assembly and confessed sins publicly and interceded for each other.

Sir. 4:26 - God tells us not to be ashamed to confess our sins, and not to try to stop the current of a river. Anyone who has experienced the sacrament of reconciliation understands the import of this verse.

Baruch 1:14 - again, this shows that the people made confession in the house of the Lord, before the assembly.

1 John 5:16-17; Luke 12:47-48 - there is a distinction between mortal and venial sins. This has been the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, but, today, most Protestants no longer agree that there is such a distinction. Mortal sins lead to death and must be absolved in the sacrament of reconciliation. Venial sins do not have to be confessed to a priest, but the pious Catholic practice is to do so in order to advance in our journey to holiness.

Matt. 5:19 - Jesus teaches that breaking the least of commandments is venial sin (the person is still saved but is least in the kingdom), versus mortal sin (the person is not saved).