@@johnquinn4680 yes, it s true, but...I have just noticed fr. Mike's hair color and I've remembered one story...a friend of mine went to visit a monastery, and, when she was getting out of The bathroom, a local nun told her " you know it's a sin to dye your hair?"😆 So, it's a "you" thing, but sometimes, it's a also a "them" thing 😆
My priest refused to hear my confession, because I would have to confess the same sin day after day - long story short, I have since received an annulment from my previous marriage. I have been away from the Church for many years and when Father refused me confession I've been pretty gun-shy to try again. We have a new Priest -- asking prayers for the courage to try again 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Go! We were in the same boat. Ended up waiting ten yrs for two annulments to come through and then having our marriage convalidated on 1/3/22. Went to confession on 1/5 and received Communion 45 min later after waiting those ten long years. It is so wonderful to be able to be absolved of my sins and receive the Eucharist.
My response would have been, "You would have to confess the same sin day after day, so come to me, and I will bring you to Him". It is a serious matter, and I don't think that an outright refusal is appropriate.
One time when I was a teenager, we wanted to go to confession before Sunday mass but there had been a storm that left frozen rain all over. My brother and I went to scrape and shovel the ice off the church's entrance and sidewalk so people could get in. By the time we were done mass was starting and confessions were over. Our priest had to leave right after mass to say mass in another town that day, but he found out what happened and right before he left he said, in essence, that he absolved us of our sins and that our penance was done by clearing the ice.
That would not be an extreme circumstance. Father said in this video and made very clear that unless there is an eminent danger, that method is not to be used.
@Dominique I'm so glad you mentioned this! I too have been in large groups of people (like 20 people...) where the priest says..."If everyone can just name the single biggest thing you want to repent for, then I will absolve you of all of your sins." I felt like you did. I also see Ad Jesum Per Mariam and conquer in my own thoughts...this did not seem like eminent danger. I felt cheated. However, I know my examination of conscience was true - I was prepared...I was contrite...I'm sure the priest knew that about each of us...and it is REALLY GOD who has created the bridge back to him through the cross! I love what Fr. Mike says and I feel like I should go back. Since COVID, there are things I told a priest that I couldn't remember if I had confessed. He said "You are covered! You are forgiven!" I feel your struggle and concern and thank you for being so vulnerable and transparent to mention this to help each of us!
I recently listened to SEVERAL youtube videos of a Harvard Professor who was Jewish and had an experience with GOD AND WITH MARY, A YEAR LATER... HE SPOKE so eloquently about the personal relationship. He talked about (I'm paraphrasing as he did) a currency in Heaven. He talked about what we do here making a difference in profiting the Kingdom of GOD. So many people confuse that with WORKING OUR WAY TO HEAVEN. Nothing of the sort. That relationship and what it does to advance the Kingdom and how it can play a role in regret. It made perfect sense to me.
Thank you Fr Mike 💫 "When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity 🌻 ~Jesus to St Faustina
As usual, you hit the nail on the head! It's pretty obvious that general absolution is not the same as direct act of confession. Tell it like it is, Father!
On Lenten Season, In the Philippines, where people are mostly Catholic, where Chruches has masses every hour from 4AM to 7PM. If our Priests and do not use General Absolution, you would have to listen for 24/7, until the end of Lent and still not finished.
Father, Thank you, you have such a wonderful way of speaking, I love listening to you and I have started practicing being Catholic again. I have prayed through the years and said the rosary, but I haven't been to church or confession in years. I am very nervous about going, to confession but once again I am feeling motivated from listening to you. I am praying that I keep feeling this way. Thank you so much. I am praying for you too.
Thank you Father Mike for the clarification on General confession! Then going to confession every couple months trying to get better at going once a month and I thought General confession was for everything I had forgotten about. So thank you for the clarity of having to speak my sin out loud to the priest and for each mortal sin that I remember. Please continue feeding your sheep I look forward to your podcasts🙏🙏🙏
That's sweet of you to clarify. When I was in Kenya, the Irish Fathers who were there running an excellent catholic high school, gave general absolution in their church every Sunday, they never cared to hear confessions. For us non Kenyans it was quite hard to understand, but I am sure they had their reasons. Besides going for confession over here, I feel and desire and compelled to take a "general absolution" from you through your podcast because "it is you" and you make such a compelling case asking the faithful to come for confession. I am so blessed to know you online. Thank you from Canada.
Hi Fr Mike thank you for what you do for bringing mass to people that might not get to go you are doing a great thing god bless you and thank you for what you do god bless you ✝️amen
True charity, clarifying and correcting with love and without judging, thank you fr. Mike. I have you in my prayers, please pray for me and my family🕯🙏🕊
When we had communal services, we still had to go up to the priest and tell our sins. It was just an opportunity for a bunch of people to be able to go at once. They would bring in extra priests for this service.
We still do it this way in our place. Each parish holds one of such services each day during Lent. This is usually done after the Archbishop does this kind of celebration with all the priests of the Archdiocese and smaller neighboring dioceses in the beginning of Lent.
We have a retired priest who will often absolve everyone who is in line if "confession time" runs out. He will ask anyone who has committed a mortal sin to go to one-on- one confession, however. It's what he's doing a loophole, of sorts? God bless you, Fr. Mike; I pray that you are constant in your obedience to and counsel from the Holy Spirit! You are a steadfast shepherd!!
Like Father Schmitz said: Only in EXTREME situations. Time run-outs shouldn't qualify for that as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure the priest means well, but I'm quite sure this is not how this is supposed to work.
I saw Jesus while doing a Confession in the Confessional booth in the Philippines! Indeed the priest is in persona Christi so we are really confessing to Jesus who forgives our sins. Thanks be to God!
I caught the reference of the salute on General Absolution, Fr. Mike! 😂 Thank you so much for these videos, Fr. Mike and all at Ascension Presents. It feeds wisdom to the soul, and it strengthens one's relationship with God. Sending prayers and love from Manila, Philippines.
I actually went to a one on one confession in a church confessional and got a general absolution when I had many mortal sins to confess. I have no idea why the priest did that and was surprised but relieved at being forgiven, but now I'm very upset. It's awful if I've been walking about for years in mortal sin and have been to confession afterwards and not mentioned these past sins I thought were forgiven. I'm now too sick to go to confession and after initially coming to my house a few times the local priest now cannot be bothered to come to my house to hear my confession despite me asking. He's just stopped. My own brother is a priest but only gives me general absolution because he doesn't want to hear his sister's sins. Seriously lost my faith in priests. I now ask Jesus for forgiveness as Paul said he was the only mediator. It's not my fault priests can't hear a confession properly or at all, as if it's too much bother for them. Also, if James is correct how come we can go to priests and be forgiven apparently but when I get the Sacrament of the sick I don't get well!!? Why should I believe one if the other is sadly lacking? “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the Name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (St. James 5:14-15). So why should I believe I'm forgiven if I'm still sick? Did Jesus Himself not say which one is easier - your sins are forgiven or take up they bed and walk? Apparently only the first one these days.
By virtue of my husband’s job, we have traveled all over. We are both “cradle Catholics”. The reason I start with this is to explain that we have grown up knowing many priests and have attended many churches in many different Diocese. We have experienced dynamic homilies, “sleepers”, beautiful liturgical music to off-key lonely cantors, breathtaking churches to converted gymnasiums. I have been fortunate to never experience a bad confession, but I’ve heard a lot of scary stories. God calls very special men to the priesthood, but they each bring their own gifts to the table They don’t all have the same gifts. One thing remains constant, the Eucharist. Please, say a prayer to your Guardian Angel to give you the courage to try the Sacrament of Reconciliation again.
Confession is God saying give ME and my mercy another chance. Wow, that's heavy! I haven't been to confession or Church in over a year b/c I felt so bad about always confessing the same sins over and over. I figured God must look at me in a certain way. But I miss God. I miss the Church. Maybe I'll try again.
Fr Mike, thank you for explaining reconciliation. For our Christmas and Easter reconciliation obligations, our diocese celebrated the sacrament in the general penance with general absolution format. We did that from about 1972 until about 2015ish. We would write our sins on a small piece of paper and throw the paper in the fire in the altar. Then general absolution was given and that was it, about a 20 minute process. There were several times I felt when God took ownership of my sins. I was 10 when the format changed. I remember being told the change was necessary due to lack of catholic priests. The diocese wanted to increase attendance to the sacrament as well. We now have a group of 4-7 priests from within our diocese who travel to the host parish/parishes. The pastor usually is the presider of the reading service. After the service portion, the priests spread throughout the church, get ready (just a minute or so) and wait for his first petitioner. You make your confession when it is your turn. The priest listens and give you your penance. I go back to a pew to pray, reflect, make my penance and go home.
How do you express what you believe in(about the church and God and His love) to your friends who does not believe in religion or the love of God or anything the church taught, but still a good person? #AskAscension
Greetings Father Mike, Thanks for The SACRAMENTAL Approach during LENT which brings closer to Our lord Jesus Christ. For kind concern : 1. Strengthened Faith with Tolerance after the Damages to My Personal Holy Bible by Nonchristian/Secular Relatives. 2 . I am still using the same for Daily Bible Read despite Thatched condition and also thankful with Prayers. With Kind respect with Prayers, RanjithJoseph (R.J)
we only have 2 hours available for confession for the week. if you get there on time, you might sit the whole two hours before mass begins and i’ve been in the position where i’m in line and don’t end up getting confessed we have 3 priests at our parish by the Glory of God
When I was in elementary/middle school there was a priest who would do general absolution during graduation masses or any other mass where people who didn't usually go to church went, BUT he would tell them to go to confession next time they had the opportunity to (and before they received communion again, I think). It felt like an invitation for those who weren't in the state of grace at that moment or those who didn't often go to mass.
He talks so fast he gets breathless! If he slowed down just a little bit, it would give the listener time to take in what he's saying. Please give us a chance to get the message!
So many people, including me - I'm sad to say, have perhaps used the "General" (Love the How I met Your mother salute!) absolution and I appreciated when multiple priest came - so I could tell it to someone I didn't know! But I love and learned to imagine seeing Jesus instead of the priest face...it makes it so real because Jesus is THE ONE that took our sins to the CROSS! Thank you Jesus! I love you! I know YOU would have had to come, lived, loved, healed, performed miracles, suffered, died, rose from the dead and opened Heaven for even just my sins alone! I picture you bearing the lashes that were meant for me. For anyone who is embarrassed, remember what Father Mike says...It is God saying "Give ME another chance to EMBRACE you and bring you back to me!"
The book of James is my favorite book of the Bible. He was Jesus’s younger brother (as was Jude) and he went from an unbeliever to a believer. The blood of Jesus spilled for me on the cross covers all my sin🥰. The idea that a priest could cover sin better than Jesus is heretical. Much love to all to fall at the cross, humbly acknowledging your inability to save yourself. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV Thank you Lord for this free gift of grace! Amen!❤️
Confession is between a priest and you and you acknowledged your sin(s). It’s private and you declared the sin(s). This reconciles God to man. God and man is the personal relationship that God & man desires. General absolution is only allowed when the priest may give it in an emergency (death, danger, threat) because there is no time available for each person to state his sins. At such a time God and man still desire a reconciliation but there is no time to state the sin. I’m not aware of a priest forgiving sins at the mass. I know we admit we are sinners and I know we pray for forgiveness at Mass but that is not a confession - it’s a prayer.
I had been away from confession for a very long time and there is no way I can remember any of it. My priest gave me a general absolution for all the stuff that I did that I can't possibly recall. The only thing I can say is that my patterns have generally been consistent so just multiply any sin that I confess by 1,000,000,000 and I will have an accurate absolution..
Absolution is a gift. It is not in the magnitude of the gift where you should find happiness it is in the receiving of an amazingly wonderful thing from GOD!
That's not the problem. Confession isn't a memory exam. The rule of: "Confess any mortal sin you are aware of" still applies (yup, if something comes to your mind later on, you have to include that in your next confession), but all the stuff you forgot is indeed included in the absolution because like I said confession isn't a memory exam.
I heard about general absolution by a priest who kindly offered it to me after mass, as I had forgotten sin at previous confession and wasn't sure if been okay to take the Eucharist. Told it is okay to recieve the Eucharist if you have forgotten to confess It as unintentional. It would be so much easier if they offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation before mass rather than after it that way absolved from sin before it begins.
Whining tone: A huge number of families belong to my parish. Confession is 8:30 - 9:30 on Saturday. It's like they don't want you to go to confession. Father regularly runs out of time to hear confessions and does a general absolution for the rest of us. This time of year, it's crazy. No way you can get in to make your confession and you have to go to church an hour early to get a seat. I have only gone to confession once since COVID started. I feel cut off. General absolution or one of those deals where they bring in extra priests is sometimes the best I can get. One of our priests barely speaks English. I can't understand a word he says. If I confess to him, is it even valid?
I'm almost certain your confession would be valid. There's no reason why it shouldn't be. He's your Father assigned to your parish and I'm assuming he would understand English or what you are trying to say even though he doesn't speak it very well.
You can call the Rectory and ask to make a pribate appointment time with your priest. He can't deny you CONFESSION! It's a very important part of his job....The Sacraments! I'm sorry about that family. God bless you. 🙏
Agree with Paula. We go to confession all over town. We recently retired and try to hit the confessional on weekdays so that people who are in the workforce can get in on Saturdays. The town we live in isn’t that big, but one of the churches seems to run a “Confession Central” on Saturday mornings from 0840-1000 hrs. There are four priests (the church has two priests assigned, so two must come in from other places) and there are usually lines ten folks deep. I love it!
Where do you live? Is it a suburb? This sounds like the suburban churches in my archdiocese. However, in the older churches In the city many have confession early in the morning before work and in the downtown ares at lunchtime before noon mass or after work at 5pm. My parish has confession daily for an hour before 6:30pm mass. It has become common in many dioceses to have evening confession from 5pm to 8pm on Wednesday during lent.
@@alexk48 Sort of a suburb, yeah. Too many Catholics not enough priests. I think Jesus would not mind in exigent circumstances if general absolution was used now and then. It'd true it is much better to talk to a priest because who is going to scold you for not calling your mother if it's general absolution?
I always thought that there's a part in the Mass where General Absolution is given. I think it's the part of the Mass where the priest says, "may the Almighty God forgive us our sins...." and also as part of the singing of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I notice during a Eucharistic Service done by a Deacon these words are never said by the Deacon which means that the priest is giving us a General Absolution of our sins.
I think that during Lent the Reconciliation service makes many people feel they don’t need the individual confession afterwords. I wish they’d do away with that and just have the confessions, especially if there’s a lot of people there. Also, though I know priests are busy, I just wish one of these services would be in the afternoon. Some of these parishes are located in not so good areas at night, and some of us are seniors and unable to be driving at night. I also wish that confessions could be heard before Sunday Mass if there’s more than one priest at a parish.
Father William Corby, chaplain of the Irish Brigade and later president of Notre Dame, gave a general absolution prior to the second day of Gettysburg. Allegedly extended it to the Army of Northern Virginia too.
Oh! I thought it was okay because my Dad had it in the Korean War. I used to go for years the First Friday, Paulist Center in Boston. Got it. My Aunt and I saw it as a "loophole" I guess, not to have to ender a Confessional, and later talk face to face with a priest (this is hard.) Thank you, Father.
I went to a penance service last night and was not granted absolution for any of my sins due to the fact that I live in cohabitation. I knew that this was possible. But I wanted to at least have my sins confessed and show that I do not live in bliss, denying that what I'm doing is wrong. I just have to fix this.
Are we forgiven for the sins that we genuinely forgot to confess in previous confessions? I've been away from church for over 5 years and there was a lot to confess, but even after my examination of conscience, I still forgot somethings because I just didn't think of it at the time. Do I need to go back to confession for the things I forgot to say?
You can go and confess when you remember. During the day or praying time if you remember any sins note it dowm. It will be useful when we go confession. God Bless and have a Blessed Holy week 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Storm Trooper: Hello. I was away from the Church for 40 + years. I did my best to confess my sins and whenever it remember something I would confess it. It took a while ~ we are all sinners, but I did my best by our God. Believe me-it was and still is a humbling to go before Jesus for absolution. But, well worth it.
In my little "Examination of Conscience" book the final thing you should say in confession is, "For these sins and all the sins of my life, I am sorry." If it be a mortal sin, you need to confess it as soon as you remember. It's the mortal sins that confession is most important to confess because those keep us separated from God. (According to my little book.)
If a priest is on a train and sees it will smash another one in ten seconds, can he give general absolution to all on the train or only to those hearing him? Would someone who was disposed to grace but did not know the danger and did not know the priest was absolving him also be absolved?
So what is the absolution we receive before Mass you know when the priest says let us pause and call to mind our sins, is that general absolution,? i have never heard this good priest or any priest address that? and i know someone who never goes to confession but goes to mass and says this gives us absolution.
I'm not exactly sure what this is… it's not general absolution. I know that receiving Holy Communion (if in the state of Grace) removes venial sins, but I'm not sure if the prayer you're talking about (if we mean the same thing) does anything on its own (I'm no scholar) or whether it's just a prayer for forgiveness. It certainly cannot be a substitute for confession.
Is it then wrong for a priest to become compelled to give general absolution during his homily to actually do it? I was so deeply sad when I went to Mass and couldn't receive because I missed Confession to be with a friend in need. I mean I was totally distraught. I believe Jesus compelled the priest to do so, so I could receive the intimacy with Him in the Eucharist. I hope the priest doesn't get in trouble if it's wrong. I went to a different parish to confess ASAP and had to explain the general absolution without giving names except the name of the parish so the matter could be narrowed down to the specific priest. The priest gave a penance to visit the adoration chapel for an hour sometime during the week after his general absolution which I did after my conventional absolution confession and penance. Please God don't let this priest get in trouble over this. AMEN
I'd love some advice/thoughts on dealing with post-Lent "burnout/fatigue." It's a spiritually intense time and I often feel I could use a "break" from my normal religious practices after Easter. Or at least "dialing it back". Wondering if anyone else feels the same or if Fr. Mike has any thoughts.#AskAscension
I just read up on the whole persona Christi with regard to confession and that some folks do not think it applies as the verses state the church members forgive each others' sins... thus holy orders do not apply. But I believe presicily bc its absolution of sins, which Christ does, and the priest make Him present via Holy Orders, I believe the priest IS persona Christi in confession.
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I was always asking, in the hystorical movies, what was the priest doing on the scaffold? I mean, what sacrament was he offering to the penitent? Because some of "those who were to die", were hushing him away, so I guess the priest can not give the absolution to someone who doesn't ask for it or want it, and neither the last communion...
How do you do confession when their is no Catholic Churches in my area? Live in a small town in the middle of nothing. Hundreds of miles to large towns.
Where was he born? I notice there's no bio info on his birthplace anywhere. Was he adopted? I see that he mentions his "parents" and being raised in a "Catholic" family...but surprisingly, there's no info anywhere on where he was actually born. Anyone know?
I don't like that interpretation, the notion that you can sort of take forgiveness away, unforgive something, because that puts into jeopardy the whole depth and sacredness of forgiveness. Rather, I would put emphasis in the fact that the lack of a will to restore the relationship with the Church, acts of contrition and a great feeling of repentance constitute a new state of sin. In the same way that you can forgive someone for a past action, but if then they don't actually regret what they did or try to live better as a result, that in itself is a lack of reconciliation, even when one truly doesn't hold the past against them. Though other way to see it is that the absolution isn't an actual present forgiveness, but a future hypothetical one. Like in, "I'll forgive you if". But that begs too many question when it comes to people in mortal danger, because if the person dies afterwards, how do we know if they would have fulfilled the condition in the case that they had continued living? Does that judgement depends on the resolve and repentance of the person in the moment of the absolution? Well, a person can be utterly convinced of something and then not do it. It would be sort of unfair for a person to be forgiven because he had no chance of proving the condition wrong, and then not forgiving someone who had the same resolve and repentance that the first one but then didn't die and didn't fulfill the condition. It's a complicated matter.
I guess the only question I have is, when I believed and made Jesus the Lord of my life I was saved and been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, if I'm forgiving past, present, and future, then why must I confess to a priest when I can go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find help in time of need? Jesus is my high priest who continues to intercede on my behalf. I can never be any less righteous or more righteous, because it is not my righteousness but His. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin. What was the cross for if I have to keep working on something I can never achieve? Jesus said it is finished. No man cometh unto the Father, except through me, and Noone cometh to the Father unless the Father draws him. Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the pharisees. You can't do that apart from the cross. It says call for the elders of the church. So I'm a little confused 😕. I'm tired of all these doctrines and scripture taking out of context that brings confusion to so many. You are saved by grace through faith and not of yourself lest anyone should boast, it is a gift of God. A priest cannot repent for people. There is a difference between asking for forgiveness and true repentance. He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto the Father. We can make scripture fit are own theology, but the bottom line is Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
What do you do when you were forced to go to a confessional session and confessed to sins you didn’t actually commit but that your abuser accused you of?
Fr Mike is the only priest I know of who has the gift of giving advice we don't want to hear without making us mad at him.
Well said
Thats a YOU problem not a priest problem
@@johnquinn4680 yes, it s true, but...I have just noticed fr. Mike's hair color and I've remembered one story...a friend of mine went to visit a monastery, and, when she was getting out of The bathroom, a local nun told her " you know it's a sin to dye your hair?"😆
So, it's a "you" thing, but sometimes, it's a also a "them" thing 😆
@@DoroteeaZorici that's a completely different situation lol
He’s wonderful! So is Fr. Mark Goring.
My priest refused to hear my confession, because I would have to confess the same sin day after day - long story short, I have since received an annulment from my previous marriage. I have been away from the Church for many years and when Father refused me confession I've been pretty gun-shy to try again. We have a new Priest -- asking prayers for the courage to try again 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Be at peace and sin no more!
Go! We were in the same boat. Ended up waiting ten yrs for two annulments to come through and then having our marriage convalidated on 1/3/22. Went to confession on 1/5 and received Communion 45 min later after waiting those ten long years. It is so wonderful to be able to be absolved of my sins and receive the Eucharist.
Some Priests are on a power trip.
My response would have been, "You would have to confess the same sin day after day, so come to me, and I will bring you to Him". It is a serious matter, and I don't think that an outright refusal is appropriate.
Go to another RC church or different priest. Problem solved
One time when I was a teenager, we wanted to go to confession before Sunday mass but there had been a storm that left frozen rain all over. My brother and I went to scrape and shovel the ice off the church's entrance and sidewalk so people could get in. By the time we were done mass was starting and confessions were over. Our priest had to leave right after mass to say mass in another town that day, but he found out what happened and right before he left he said, in essence, that he absolved us of our sins and that our penance was done by clearing the ice.
That’s sounds a lot harder than the usual three Hail Marys!
😬 nice 🙏
Blessed be God! You and your brother were on fire with the Holy Spirit that day
That would not be an extreme circumstance. Father said in this video and made very clear that unless there is an eminent danger, that method is not to be used.
@Dominique I'm so glad you mentioned this! I too have been in large groups of people (like 20 people...) where the priest says..."If everyone can just name the single biggest thing you want to repent for, then I will absolve you of all of your sins." I felt like you did. I also see Ad Jesum Per Mariam and conquer in my own thoughts...this did not seem like eminent danger. I felt cheated. However, I know my examination of conscience was true - I was prepared...I was contrite...I'm sure the priest knew that about each of us...and it is REALLY GOD who has created the bridge back to him through the cross! I love what Fr. Mike says and I feel like I should go back. Since COVID, there are things I told a priest that I couldn't remember if I had confessed. He said "You are covered! You are forgiven!" I feel your struggle and concern and thank you for being so vulnerable and transparent to mention this to help each of us!
I was received into the church today. Videos like this led me to where I'm at now. Thank you for all you do!
Well said. I can't imagine being Catholic without individual reconciliation. It's a huge gift and so many people treat it like a box to check.
I recently listened to SEVERAL youtube videos of a Harvard Professor who was Jewish and had an experience with GOD AND WITH MARY, A YEAR LATER... HE SPOKE so eloquently about the personal relationship. He talked about (I'm paraphrasing as he did) a currency in Heaven. He talked about what we do here making a difference in profiting the Kingdom of GOD. So many people confuse that with WORKING OUR WAY TO HEAVEN. Nothing of the sort. That relationship and what it does to advance the Kingdom and how it can play a role in regret. It made perfect sense to me.
Thank you Fr Mike 💫
"When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul.
Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust.
If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity 🌻
~Jesus to St Faustina
I LOVE THIS!
As usual, you hit the nail on the head! It's pretty obvious that general absolution is not the same as direct act of confession. Tell it like it is, Father!
Yes he will not because this is not scriptures it is blasphemy to think you have the power of God to forgive sins .
@@timgendle9499 denying the Bible is blasphemy, which is what you are doing
I start and end my days with Father Mike may God Bless him. Keep spreading the word
Of God, and making the videos I learn so much from them.
Father is always the most inspiring when he is preaching quite directly pure Roman orthodoxy.
You were so beautifully sweet about this, Father. Thank you.
On Lenten Season, In the Philippines, where people are mostly Catholic, where Chruches has masses every hour from 4AM to 7PM.
If our Priests and do not use General Absolution, you would have to listen for 24/7, until the end of Lent and still not finished.
What a great predicament to have.
Great explanation as usual father Mike. Thank you for the humor you put into serious topics. You are great. Your videos are awesome, you are too.
Father, Thank you, you have such a wonderful way of speaking, I love listening to you and I have started practicing being Catholic again. I have prayed through the years and said the rosary, but I haven't been to church or confession in years. I am very nervous about going, to confession but once again I am feeling motivated from listening to you. I am praying that I keep feeling this way. Thank you so much. I am praying for you too.
I will keep you in my daily prayers Kim‼️ I pray my rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily and attend 4 hours of adoration a week
@@cynthiakane9928, thank you so much! you are an inspiration!
Thank you Father Mike for the clarification on General confession! Then going to confession every couple months trying to get better at going once a month and I thought General confession was for everything I had forgotten about. So thank you for the clarity of having to speak my sin out loud to the priest and for each mortal sin that I remember. Please continue feeding your sheep I look forward to your podcasts🙏🙏🙏
More power to you Fr. Mike🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
That's sweet of you to clarify. When I was in Kenya, the Irish Fathers who were there running an excellent catholic high school, gave general absolution in their church every Sunday, they never cared to hear confessions. For us non Kenyans it was quite hard to understand, but I am sure they had their reasons. Besides going for confession over here, I feel and desire and compelled to take a "general absolution" from you through your podcast because "it is you" and you make such a compelling case asking the faithful to come for confession. I am so blessed to know you online. Thank you from Canada.
Father, you presented this topic so well and with so much clarity and love. Thank you for all you do!
Hi Fr Mike thank you for what you do for bringing mass to people that might not get to go you are doing a great thing god bless you and thank you for what you do god bless you ✝️amen
True charity, clarifying and correcting with love and without judging, thank you fr. Mike. I have you in my prayers, please pray for me and my family🕯🙏🕊
I love Fr. Mike's videos. All of them. They are so informative and so personal. I know he's talking directly to me with compassion and care.
Amen
When we had communal services, we still had to go up to the priest and tell our sins. It was just an opportunity for a bunch of people to be able to go at once. They would bring in extra priests for this service.
We still do it this way in our place. Each parish holds one of such services each day during Lent. This is usually done after the Archbishop does this kind of celebration with all the priests of the Archdiocese and smaller neighboring dioceses in the beginning of Lent.
We have a retired priest who will often absolve everyone who is in line if "confession time" runs out. He will ask anyone who has committed a mortal sin to go to one-on- one confession, however. It's what he's doing a loophole, of sorts? God bless you, Fr. Mike; I pray that you are constant in your obedience to and counsel from the Holy Spirit! You are a steadfast shepherd!!
Like Father Schmitz said: Only in EXTREME situations. Time run-outs shouldn't qualify for that as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure the priest means well, but I'm quite sure this is not how this is supposed to work.
Thank you for helping me to learn more about the love that our Father has for all of us.
Thank you Father 🙏🏻. From France 🇫🇷
This was so insightful and made perfect sense to me. Thank you Father.
I'm an Anglican. Apparently every Sunday is an emergency for us...
Go to daily Mass, it safeguards us from moving towards mortal sin by helping us with our wicked tendencies and destroys our venal sins
Daily Mass! 🔥
I saw Jesus while doing a Confession in the Confessional booth in the Philippines! Indeed the priest is in persona Christi so we are really confessing to Jesus who forgives our sins. Thanks be to God!
I caught the reference of the salute on General Absolution, Fr. Mike! 😂
Thank you so much for these videos, Fr. Mike and all at Ascension Presents. It feeds wisdom to the soul, and it strengthens one's relationship with God.
Sending prayers and love from Manila, Philippines.
Thank you Fr. Mike. This is great to know.
Thank you Fr.
Good bless
Thank you for the videos and your continued prayers! I'm praying for you too!
❣️👀❣️ I heard that "cilia" means "Eyelash" in Latin, & "Re" means Return...So, Reconciliation is, "Coming Eyelash to Eyelash with JESUS!"
Wow lol I never knew that! Thanks for sharing :0)
Great stuff, Padre
Fr.Mike please pray that I make a good Confession
Thanks Fr Mike 😊
Thank you! Father 🙏❤️
Thank you Fr. Mike for preaching this sermon.
I actually went to a one on one confession in a church confessional and got a general absolution when I had many mortal sins to confess. I have no idea why the priest did that and was surprised but relieved at being forgiven, but now I'm very upset. It's awful if I've been walking about for years in mortal sin and have been to confession afterwards and not mentioned these past sins I thought were forgiven. I'm now too sick to go to confession and after initially coming to my house a few times the local priest now cannot be bothered to come to my house to hear my confession despite me asking. He's just stopped.
My own brother is a priest but only gives me general absolution because he doesn't want to hear his sister's sins.
Seriously lost my faith in priests. I now ask Jesus for forgiveness as Paul said he was the only mediator. It's not my fault priests can't hear a confession properly or at all, as if it's too much bother for them.
Also, if James is correct how come we can go to priests and be forgiven apparently but when I get the Sacrament of the sick I don't get well!!? Why should I believe one if the other is sadly lacking?
“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the Name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (St. James 5:14-15).
So why should I believe I'm forgiven if I'm still sick? Did Jesus Himself not say which one is easier - your sins are forgiven or take up they bed and walk? Apparently only the first one these days.
Great explanation, Father! Thank you!
Wow, when you made that hand signal and said I absolve all your sins I felt lighter
XD I don't think that has you covered though either ;-) But I guess at some point one gets kind of used to responding in that way XD
Very hard hitting but encouraging
Thanks for getting the word out Fr.
This should be circulated everywhere! So clearly and beautifully explained, Father Mike! May the LORD bless you!
By virtue of my husband’s job, we have traveled all over. We are both “cradle Catholics”. The reason I start with this is to explain that we have grown up knowing many priests and have attended many churches in many different Diocese. We have experienced dynamic homilies, “sleepers”, beautiful liturgical music to off-key lonely cantors, breathtaking churches to converted gymnasiums. I have been fortunate to never experience a bad confession, but I’ve heard a lot of scary stories. God calls very special men to the priesthood, but they each bring their own gifts to the table They don’t all have the same gifts. One thing remains constant, the Eucharist. Please, say a prayer to your Guardian Angel to give you the courage to try the Sacrament of Reconciliation again.
Thank you Father Mike..great lesson as always.
I give you my appreciation for what I have visually inherited and observantly analyzed. I hope to you a propitious day and night.
Confession is God saying give ME and my mercy another chance. Wow, that's heavy! I haven't been to confession or Church in over a year b/c I felt so bad about always confessing the same sins over and over. I figured God must look at me in a certain way. But I miss God. I miss the Church. Maybe I'll try again.
Thank You
Thank you Father Mike!
Fr Mike, thank you for explaining reconciliation. For our Christmas and Easter reconciliation obligations, our diocese celebrated the sacrament in the general penance with general absolution format. We did that from about 1972 until about 2015ish. We would write our sins on a small piece of paper and throw the paper in the fire in the altar. Then general absolution was given and that was it, about a 20 minute process. There were several times I felt when God took ownership of my sins.
I was 10 when the format changed. I remember being told the change was necessary due to lack of catholic priests. The diocese wanted to increase attendance to the sacrament as well.
We now have a group of 4-7 priests from within our diocese who travel to the host parish/parishes. The pastor usually is the presider of the reading service. After the service portion, the priests spread throughout the church, get ready (just a minute or so) and wait for his first petitioner. You make your confession when it is your turn. The priest listens and give you your penance. I go back to a pew to pray, reflect, make my penance and go home.
How do you express what you believe in(about the church and God and His love) to your friends who does not believe in religion or the love of God or anything the church taught, but still a good person? #AskAscension
Hello Father Mike - Just love all of your work, just amazing. One request please slow down just a little...
I totally agree. I’m living in ireland now where they do general absolution I still go to priest for confession. It never felt right
Greetings Father Mike,
Thanks for The SACRAMENTAL Approach during LENT which brings closer to Our lord Jesus Christ.
For kind concern :
1. Strengthened Faith with Tolerance after the Damages to My Personal Holy Bible by Nonchristian/Secular Relatives.
2 . I am still using the same for Daily Bible Read despite Thatched condition and also thankful with Prayers.
With Kind respect with Prayers,
RanjithJoseph (R.J)
Amen
Toronto Ontario Canada
we only have 2 hours available for confession for the week. if you get there on time, you might sit the whole two hours before mass begins and i’ve been in the position where i’m in line and don’t end up getting confessed
we have 3 priests at our parish by the Glory of God
but you can make appointments with them during the week
When I was in elementary/middle school there was a priest who would do general absolution during graduation masses or any other mass where people who didn't usually go to church went, BUT he would tell them to go to confession next time they had the opportunity to (and before they received communion again, I think). It felt like an invitation for those who weren't in the state of grace at that moment or those who didn't often go to mass.
I've not ever received a general absolution.
Never heard of until now. Cool 😎
He talks so fast he gets breathless! If he slowed down just a little bit, it would give the listener time to take in what he's saying. Please give us a chance to get the message!
So many people, including me - I'm sad to say, have perhaps used the "General" (Love the How I met Your mother salute!) absolution and I appreciated when multiple priest came - so I could tell it to someone I didn't know! But I love and learned to imagine seeing Jesus instead of the priest face...it makes it so real because Jesus is THE ONE that took our sins to the CROSS! Thank you Jesus! I love you! I know YOU would have had to come, lived, loved, healed, performed miracles, suffered, died, rose from the dead and opened Heaven for even just my sins alone! I picture you bearing the lashes that were meant for me. For anyone who is embarrassed, remember what Father Mike says...It is God saying "Give ME another chance to EMBRACE you and bring you back to me!"
The book of James is my favorite book of the Bible. He was Jesus’s younger brother (as was Jude) and he went from an unbeliever to a believer.
The blood of Jesus spilled for me on the cross covers all my sin🥰. The idea that a priest could cover sin better than Jesus is heretical. Much love to all to fall at the cross, humbly acknowledging your inability to save yourself.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Thank you Lord for this free gift of grace! Amen!❤️
#AskAscension What is the difference between general absolution vs the confession/absolution of the priest during Mass?
#AskAscension
During mass it only absolves venal sins, mortal sins require confession
@@Ritabug34 not true
Confession is between a priest and you and you acknowledged your sin(s). It’s private and you declared the sin(s). This reconciles God to man. God and man is the personal relationship that God & man desires.
General absolution is only allowed when the priest may give it in an emergency (death, danger, threat) because there is no time available for each person to state his sins. At such a time God and man still desire a reconciliation but there is no time to state the sin.
I’m not aware of a priest forgiving sins at the mass. I know we admit we are sinners and I know we pray for forgiveness at Mass but that is not a confession - it’s a prayer.
I had been away from confession for a very long time and there is no way I can remember any of it. My priest gave me a general absolution for all the stuff that I did that I can't possibly recall. The only thing I can say is that my patterns have generally been consistent so just multiply any sin that I confess by 1,000,000,000 and I will have an accurate absolution..
Absolution is a gift. It is not in the magnitude of the gift where you should find happiness it is in the receiving of an amazingly wonderful thing from GOD!
Multiply any sin I confess by 1, 000, 000...😅
That's not the problem. Confession isn't a memory exam. The rule of: "Confess any mortal sin you are aware of" still applies (yup, if something comes to your mind later on, you have to include that in your next confession), but all the stuff you forgot is indeed included in the absolution because like I said confession isn't a memory exam.
I had never heard of General Absolution before I started watching this and other religious channels.
Indeed.
I heard about general absolution by a priest who kindly offered it to me after mass, as I had forgotten sin at previous confession and wasn't sure if been okay to take the Eucharist. Told it is okay to recieve the Eucharist if you have forgotten to confess It as unintentional. It would be so much easier if they offered the Sacrament of Reconciliation before mass rather than after it that way absolved from sin before it begins.
That is the BEST EXPLANATION EVER.
Whining tone: A huge number of families belong to my parish. Confession is 8:30 - 9:30 on Saturday. It's like they don't want you to go to confession. Father regularly runs out of time to hear confessions and does a general absolution for the rest of us. This time of year, it's crazy. No way you can get in to make your confession and you have to go to church an hour early to get a seat. I have only gone to confession once since COVID started. I feel cut off. General absolution or one of those deals where they bring in extra priests is sometimes the best I can get. One of our priests barely speaks English. I can't understand a word he says. If I confess to him, is it even valid?
I'm almost certain your confession would be valid. There's no reason why it shouldn't be. He's your Father assigned to your parish and I'm assuming he would understand English or what you are trying to say even though he doesn't speak it very well.
You can call the Rectory and ask to make a pribate appointment time with your priest. He can't deny you CONFESSION! It's a very important part of his job....The Sacraments! I'm sorry about that family. God bless you. 🙏
Agree with Paula. We go to confession all over town. We recently retired and try to hit the confessional on weekdays so that people who are in the workforce can get in on Saturdays. The town we live in isn’t that big, but one of the churches seems to run a “Confession Central” on Saturday mornings from 0840-1000 hrs. There are four priests (the church has two priests assigned, so two must come in from other places) and there are usually lines ten folks deep. I love it!
Where do you live? Is it a suburb? This sounds like the suburban churches in my archdiocese. However, in the older churches In the city many have confession early in the morning before work and in the downtown ares at lunchtime before noon mass or after work at 5pm. My parish has confession daily for an hour before 6:30pm mass. It has become common in many dioceses to have evening confession from 5pm to 8pm on Wednesday during lent.
@@alexk48 Sort of a suburb, yeah. Too many Catholics not enough priests. I think Jesus would not mind in exigent circumstances if general absolution was used now and then. It'd true it is much better to talk to a priest because who is going to scold you for not calling your mother if it's general absolution?
I always thought that there's a part in the Mass where General Absolution is given. I think it's the part of the Mass where the priest says, "may the Almighty God forgive us our sins...." and also as part of the singing of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I notice during a Eucharistic Service done by a Deacon these words are never said by the Deacon which means that the priest is giving us a General Absolution of our sins.
The lines for confession are very short. The church must be filled with saints!
I think that during Lent the Reconciliation service makes many people feel they don’t need the individual confession afterwords. I wish they’d do away with that and just have the confessions, especially if there’s a lot of people there. Also, though I know priests are busy, I just wish one of these services would be in the afternoon. Some of these parishes are located in not so good areas at night, and some of us are seniors and unable to be driving at night. I also wish that confessions could be heard before Sunday Mass if there’s more than one priest at a parish.
Pray for me my family
Father William Corby, chaplain of the Irish Brigade and later president of Notre Dame, gave a general absolution prior to the second day of Gettysburg. Allegedly extended it to the Army of Northern Virginia too.
Love the how I met your mother reference🤣
I say this with love but also sadness, but I see my parish likely using the confetior as confession.
Oh! I thought it was okay because my Dad had it in the Korean War. I used to go for years the First Friday, Paulist Center in Boston. Got it. My Aunt and I saw it as a "loophole" I guess, not to have to ender a Confessional, and later talk face to face with a priest (this is hard.) Thank you, Father.
Lol…he saluted when he said General. 😄
Was that an HIMYM reference??
I went to a penance service last night and was not granted absolution for any of my sins due to the fact that I live in cohabitation. I knew that this was possible. But I wanted to at least have my sins confessed and show that I do not live in bliss, denying that what I'm doing is wrong. I just have to fix this.
Are we forgiven for the sins that we genuinely forgot to confess in previous confessions? I've been away from church for over 5 years and there was a lot to confess, but even after my examination of conscience, I still forgot somethings because I just didn't think of it at the time. Do I need to go back to confession for the things I forgot to say?
You can go and confess when you remember. During the day or praying time if you remember any sins note it dowm. It will be useful when we go confession. God Bless and have a Blessed Holy week 🙏🙏🙏🙏
@@sttheresa6967 Thank you!
Storm Trooper: Hello. I was away from the Church for 40 + years. I did my best to confess my sins and whenever it remember something I would confess it. It took a while ~ we are all sinners, but I did my best by our God. Believe me-it was and still is a humbling to go before Jesus for absolution. But, well worth it.
But what if you die before your able to remember them all?
In my little "Examination of Conscience" book the final thing you should say in confession is, "For these sins and all the sins of my life, I am sorry." If it be a mortal sin, you need to confess it as soon as you remember. It's the mortal sins that confession is most important to confess because those keep us separated from God. (According to my little book.)
Thank you for clarifying that ,Fr. Mike. God bless
Let the greys grow out Fr. You’d look great!
I was never told that. I have only received a general absolution once at the start of the pandemic, and Father never told me.
I envy you folks that have regular access to confession ...
In a sense, it looks a lot like the Penitential Act at the start of Mass, since it only absolves venial sin, if imminent danger is absent.
If a priest is on a train and sees it will smash another one in ten seconds, can he give general absolution to all on the train or only to those hearing him?
Would someone who was disposed to grace but did not know the danger and did not know the priest was absolving him also be absolved?
So what is the absolution we receive before Mass you know when the priest says let us pause and call to mind our sins, is that general absolution,? i have never heard this good priest or any priest address that? and i know someone who never goes to confession but goes to mass and says this gives us absolution.
I'm not exactly sure what this is… it's not general absolution. I know that receiving Holy Communion (if in the state of Grace) removes venial sins, but I'm not sure if the prayer you're talking about (if we mean the same thing) does anything on its own (I'm no scholar) or whether it's just a prayer for forgiveness. It certainly cannot be a substitute for confession.
the door of the confessional opens to the stairway to heaven
Is it then wrong for a priest to become compelled to give general absolution during his homily to actually do it? I was so deeply sad when I went to Mass and couldn't receive because I missed Confession to be with a friend in need. I mean I was totally distraught. I believe Jesus compelled the priest to do so, so I could receive the intimacy with Him in the Eucharist. I hope the priest doesn't get in trouble if it's wrong. I went to a different parish to confess ASAP and had to explain the general absolution without giving names except the name of the parish so the matter could be narrowed down to the specific priest. The priest gave a penance to visit the adoration chapel for an hour sometime during the week after his general absolution which I did after my conventional absolution confession and penance. Please God don't let this priest get in trouble over this. AMEN
I'd love some advice/thoughts on dealing with post-Lent "burnout/fatigue." It's a spiritually intense time and I often feel I could use a "break" from my normal religious practices after Easter. Or at least "dialing it back". Wondering if anyone else feels the same or if Fr. Mike has any thoughts.#AskAscension
I just read up on the whole persona Christi with regard to confession and that some folks do not think it applies as the verses state the church members forgive each others' sins... thus holy orders do not apply. But I believe presicily bc its absolution of sins, which Christ does, and the priest make Him present via Holy Orders, I believe the priest IS persona Christi in confession.
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I was always asking, in the hystorical movies, what was the priest doing on the scaffold? I mean, what sacrament was he offering to the penitent? Because some of "those who were to die", were hushing him away, so I guess the priest can not give the absolution to someone who doesn't ask for it or want it, and neither the last communion...
How do you do confession when their is no Catholic Churches in my area? Live in a small town in the middle of nothing. Hundreds of miles to large towns.
Where was he born? I notice there's no bio info on his birthplace anywhere. Was he adopted? I see that he mentions his "parents" and being raised in a "Catholic" family...but surprisingly, there's no info anywhere on where he was actually born. Anyone know?
I don't like that interpretation, the notion that you can sort of take forgiveness away, unforgive something, because that puts into jeopardy the whole depth and sacredness of forgiveness. Rather, I would put emphasis in the fact that the lack of a will to restore the relationship with the Church, acts of contrition and a great feeling of repentance constitute a new state of sin. In the same way that you can forgive someone for a past action, but if then they don't actually regret what they did or try to live better as a result, that in itself is a lack of reconciliation, even when one truly doesn't hold the past against them.
Though other way to see it is that the absolution isn't an actual present forgiveness, but a future hypothetical one. Like in, "I'll forgive you if". But that begs too many question when it comes to people in mortal danger, because if the person dies afterwards, how do we know if they would have fulfilled the condition in the case that they had continued living? Does that judgement depends on the resolve and repentance of the person in the moment of the absolution? Well, a person can be utterly convinced of something and then not do it. It would be sort of unfair for a person to be forgiven because he had no chance of proving the condition wrong, and then not forgiving someone who had the same resolve and repentance that the first one but then didn't die and didn't fulfill the condition. It's a complicated matter.
I guess the only question I have is, when I believed and made Jesus the Lord of my life I was saved and been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, if I'm forgiving past, present, and future, then why must I confess to a priest when I can go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find help in time of need? Jesus is my high priest who continues to intercede on my behalf. I can never be any less righteous or more righteous, because it is not my righteousness but His. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin. What was the cross for if I have to keep working on something I can never achieve? Jesus said it is finished. No man cometh unto the Father, except through me, and Noone cometh to the Father unless the Father draws him. Unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the pharisees. You can't do that apart from the cross. It says call for the elders of the church. So I'm a little confused 😕. I'm tired of all these doctrines and scripture taking out of context that brings confusion to so many. You are saved by grace through faith and not of yourself lest anyone should boast, it is a gift of God. A priest cannot repent for people. There is a difference between asking for forgiveness and true repentance. He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto the Father. We can make scripture fit are own theology, but the bottom line is Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Many places in this world do not have sufficient priests for auricular confession.
What do you do when you were forced to go to a confessional session and confessed to sins you didn’t actually commit but that your abuser accused you of?
Makes sense to me. I’ve never gone to a general absolution. If I’m ever in a plane going down, hope you’re there with me. No, wait! Never mind.
I laughed!