This season of Lent calls us to conversion of hearts. One of the key ways to change our hearts, turn towards Christ and experience mercy, is to make better use of the Sacrament of Penance. This morning I want to share with you a thought about our Easter Duty.

The laws of the Church tells us that as Catholics we must confess our moral sins at least once a year in the Easter Season, in order to be able to receive Communion worthily. The Easter season goes from the first Sunday of Lent (approximately 40 days before Easter) to Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter). Within those three months, all Catholic are obliged to go to confession if they have committed any mortal sins and have not been to confession during the year. It is a call to experience mercy and forgiveness.

What is “mortal” or “serious” or “grave” sin? It is any sin which destroys our relationship with God. It destroys love within us and so, through God’s mercy, we need to re-establish our relationship with Him. For a sin to be mortal, these things are necessary (1) it must be a serious matter, not necessarily big, but serious; (2) it requires full knowledge and complete consent — I know this is serious, but I am determined to do it anyway; (3) I do it. All three of these conditions must be met to commit a mortal sin. Any sins of this kind, I am obliged to confess to the priest. If there is serious matter, it is always wise to confess those sins even if they may no necessarily be mortal.

The Ten Commandments tell us the things that are serious. We must be careful that feeling “embarrassed: or “ashamed: does not keep us from confessing all of our sins. If we are unsure if something is serious we should clear-up our uncertainty and ask the priest. I think we pretty much know when we have done something serious and need to go to confession.

There is one area , though, where I think we may be coming very lax: to keep Holy the Lord’s Day. I have an obligation to go to Mass every Sunday and if I consistently miss Mass for no serious reason, I may be committing a mortal sin. 

Mass on Sundays is a key way to safeguard my relationship with God, as well as my relationship with the believing Community. It keeps me rooted in my Faith Community. If I have committed a serious sin-mortal sin, I should not go to Communion. To receive Communion in the state of moral sin is to commit a sacrilege — that is complete disrespect for God and for the things of God. If this has happened, we must confess it. What is the purpose of all of this? The Church wants us to receive the Eucharist at least once a year and, to do that, we must be free from any serious sin and prepared for the great grace of receiving Jesus in His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Every Saturday afternoon a priest is available for confession from 2:00PM to 4:00PM and on most weekdays from 6:45PM to 7:30PM. God awaits us in this sacrament, full of mercy and love. He does not care about our sins; He cares about our being sorry. God is rich in his mercy; He want nothing more than to forgive us. All we must do is ask! No sin is so big or so grave that God is not willing to forgive us. It does not matter how long it has been since your last confession — the priest is there, ready to help. All that matters is that you come to this great sacrament of Love. In this Lenten season, come and make a good confession and know the freedom and joy God’s mercy brings!

God bless you!
Fr. Pat Angelucci 

PS: Due to the Coranavirus situation, there are confessions every day from 11:00 to 12:00 in the morning, 4:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon and 6:30-7:30 in the evening.