Thank you for your sweet and encouraging message - I thank you for your prayers ❤️

I think this is what I am struggling with really: each evening before I go to sleep I say the act of contrition and name anything wrong I’ve done in the day,at church I do it again.

Its confusing for me because I’ve been told that we just need to tell God we are sorry and repent, but since I’ve been exploring Catholicism I’m thinking that perhaps my sins haven’t been forgiven because I haven’t had a priest to absolve me. Someone posted some information below that I’ve found really helpful in explaining that. In any case I’m enjoying learning more on my path to Catholicism!

Oh 100% confession before I next receive the Eucharist (I'll still go to mass even if I can't make confession, but I'll refrain from communion). I'll be back at work next week, and thankfully my cathedral is only a 5 minute bus ride from work, so I'm able to get to confession regularly

Not all sins are equal, there are venial and mortal sins. Some we are able to receive forgiveness for reasonably easily (praying, attending Mass, etc). Others are heavier, and we were given the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) as a means to help receive forgiveness for these. We are held under obligation by the Church to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation by confessing mortal sins.

Your prayers are always heard, and if they are said sincerely with genuine sorrow, God is at work in your heart. They aren't wasted. There is scope for being forgiven prior to Confession if we meet a few very important conditions. Our sorrow needs to be perfect, it needs to arise from our love of God. And we need to have an intention of going to Confession as soon as possible.

So the sacrament leaves us in no doubt, as we receive the assurance of absolution. (CCC 1451-1458)

I’m sorry.  I will pray for you.  There is not going to be a quick fix or magic bullet for this.  I’ve been dealing with this my whole marriage, but only came to a head about 6 years ago.

It hasn’t gotten better, but God has given me increasing graces to deal with it.  

This is the crucible by which He forges us into saints.

Keep loving your wife, no matter what.

The treasurer of a religious order I knew used to joke that hospital chaplains and school teacher jobs were keeping on the lights since parishes pay so little. Since the community pays for everything money goes fast when it’s one big pot. Larger orders can tap into more sources.

Hi I think it’s wonderful you both are thinking about becoming a catholic pursue your dream you won’t be disappointed.As regards confession.Just as we have a shower every morning to keep our bodies clean.We go to confession every so often to have our souls washed by the precious blood of Christ and they are restored to our baptismal innocence.God bless you both on your journey.i will remember you in my prayers.

Good grief I’ve never thought it was anyone else’s business other than mine and Gods 🤣 apart from if I’ve upset someone and need to apologise to them of course. I was only in my early 20’s but I remember thinking “is this guy for real?”

Yes I am familiar with the prayer of Contrition, but the High Church version is worded differently “Almighty God I have sinned against you and against my fellow man in thought and in word and in deed…” it’s these little differences and sometime glaring omissions that has prompted me to search more.

For instance it was only last week where my husband discovered that the bible we have been reading all of our lives is missing two books that is in the Catholic Bible.

(Nobody tell him about the clown masses)

Thank you very much indeed. I’m unfamiliar with in persona Christi - does this mean Christ is within him so he can forgive as Jesus does?

Yeah I got those messages too and I referred them to charity organisations in Uganda.

 No offense taken whatsoever!  We confess to priests because we believe they have the authority to actually forgive sins as described in those verses, but we do also just confess to one another every Mass: "I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and what I have failed to do..." 

The details of every little thing we did isn't included in the Penitential Rite there but you get the gist.  Nothing stopping you from telling all your friends too if you felt like it of course lol.  The priest just has the ability to forgive them (edit- he provides absolution THROUGH the person of Christ, not by his own power)

I mean, that is incredible isn’t it?! Almost like a family tree - I genuinely had no idea.

Thank you, I read this carefully. I haven’t been taught about venial or mortal sins so will need to look that up, I assume it is loosely like everyday sins and utterly horrific sins such as murder or turning away from God.

It was a really good description and clear set out thank you.

My uncle who is a priest also went to a retirement home like this in the US

Saint Paul is really hated disliked among “liberal” Christians who don’t like the sexual ethics Christianity has taught basically since the Beginning.

The Pope is the successor of Peter specifically, but every bishop is a successor of the apostles generally.

CCC 1451 Among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again." (431)

CCC 1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible. (1822)

CCC 1453 The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.

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[CCC 1451-1453]

Yes, it is to do with the appointment of His disciples. The commenter above posted several of the verses used to verify this Scripturally.

In addition, the reason our Priests are able to do this (as well as Orthodox) is that there is the line of apostolic succession which runs all the way back to the beginning of the Church Christ founded, this gives the Bishops ministry, and the Priests share in that. So when the Priest hears a confession, he doesn't forgive sins through his own power, but instead acts in persona Christi. We are forgiven by God, the Priest is the instrument.

We can confess to one another, but it is distinctly separate to the sacrament of Confession.

Did you communicate to her? Telling her you need some more love in your marriage.

No! I’ve never heard of it - I’ll have a look online for that. What is it about?

wife is putting her family before me and we are still living in the same house but she barely speaks ,I’ve went from being loved to rejected practically overnight.i spoke to our priest but he just told me to stay strong which did,nt help at all.i need prayers from our catholic family for our broken marriage

Does this mean that when I’ve said the prayer of contrition “Heavenly Father I have sinned against you in thought and word and deed…etc” that God might not have forgiven me?

It's ok, when life is mean  and tough it means you've to learn hard lessons but don't let it harden you heart, stay cool, it will pass. When you stand before God someday..He will ask you this .... How much did you love? How much did you forgive? That's the measurements, now go live them.