Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are twenty-three (23) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and five (5) canons in the Code of Canon Law which can help us to appreciate the Sacrament of Penance. The following is a reflection on CIC’83 canon 988.
The Christian Faithful are to make a careful examination of conscience (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:28; Galatians 6:4; 1 Peter 3:21). In order to examine our conscience we should look upon the Cross whereupon Jesus died to free us from our sins, the Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17; Deuteronomy 5:4–20), the Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:3–12; Luke 6:20–22), the virtues (and the vices; cf. Job 20:11; Psalms 84:7; Proverbs 31:10; Galatians 5:24; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:5), and the Works of Mercy both corporal and spiritual (cf. Matthew 25:31–46).
The Christian Faithful are bound to confess all grave / mortal / serious sins committed after Baptism according to number and kind (“I did x, y times”). There are three conditions required together for a sin to be grave / mortal / serious: grave matter, committed in full knowledge and deliberately done (cf. CCC, 1957). Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments (Decalogue) (cf. CCC, 1858). The object, intention, and circumstance should also be considered in a thorough examination of conscience, the object being the objective criteria (cf. CCC, 1750–1754). The best of intentions can not make a bad object good and the worst of circumstances can not make a bad object good.
Individual confession of sins in the Sacrament of Penance allows the power of the keys to be exercised by Mother Church. “The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven” are entrusted to Saint Peter referring to binding and loosening in Heaven and on Earth (cf. Matthew 16:19). Before the Lord Jesus entrusted the keys of the Kingdom to Saint Peter Isaiah had already prophesied about “the key of the House of David” being “upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and no one shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open” (22:22), a prophecy cited in the Book of Revelation 3:7. To bind and to loose has been understood as referring to the Sacrament of Penance and the absolution given (or not) in the sacrament. So long as we come with sorrow in our hearts, not wanting to spend all eternity in Hell, the confessor is bound to grant us absolution, that is, to loosen us from eternal damnation, thanks to the Blood of Jesus shed once for all.
It is also recommended that the Christian Faithful also confess venial sins. That there are deadly or mortal sins, as well as other sins which are not deadly is evident from Sacred Scripture (cf. 1 John 5:16–17). The Sacrament of Penance is necessary for the remission of mortal / deadly sins and is beneficial for the remission of venial sins. If full knowledge is lacking or deliberate choice in freedom is missing from sinful actions or desires then the sins are venial.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr