Are you curious about something you've seen at mass?
Do you wonder what it's like to live in a rectory or to hear confessions? Have you ever wondered, "Why does the Church do that?" Go ahead – ask a priest!
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Is speeding a mortal sin? There was a stretch of a road I think I drove over the speed limit. Should I confess this sin before I receive Holy Communion, or is saying the Confiteor Prayer at the being of Holy Mass and also reading the Act of Contrition prayer enough to forgive my sin of speeding, and therefore, be in a state of grace for me to receive Holy Communion?
No, driving over the speed limit is not a mortal sin. It would not be considered serious matter in the moral life. That being said, if the lives of others or your own life is intentionally or unintentionally (while intoxicated, for instance) put in danger by the choice to drive recklessly, than it would be considered a serious venial sin or a mortal sin depending on the circumstances.
But, driving over the speed limit on a stretch of road does not constitute of itself a mortal sin.
I hope that this helps clarify it. Drive safely!
When does anger (wraith) become a mortal sin? Is yelling at siblings, friends, parents a mortal sin if they started the conversation angry? And if not, could you give me a example when it would become one? I didn’t understand the definition of mortal sin.
For a sin to be a mortal sin, there are always three conditions that have to be met:
- Grave Matter: The act itself is intrinsically evil and immoral
- Full Knowledge: The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral.
- Deliberate Consent: The person must freely choose to commit the act or plan to do it.
Reading what the catechism says about anger could be helpful. It says:
CCC 2302 “By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill," our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.
Anger is a desire for revenge. "To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit," but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice." If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.
So, anger is an emotion, when it is directed to pay back evil for evil, to revenge a wrong done to someone, it is a sin. If it is directed simply to correct, defend ones good and that of others, is it praiseworthy. An example would be when Jesus drove out those money changers in the temple (Mt 21:12). It is then a mortal sin when it meets the three conditions earlier mentioned otherwise it is a venial sin. Anger that intends to destroy or cause harm to others. Anger that has nothing good to achieve is outrightly sinful.
Since anger an emotion, the devil can quickly use it against us. So, St. Paul cautions us in Ephesians 4:26 saying “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Been angry because something is going wrong is one thing but beginning to wish bad things on others is sinful.
So, anger is sinful only when the intended or actual effect of it is bad. It is a good thing when helps to correct vices and maintain justice.
Questions and Answers on the U.S. Bishops’ Vote to Draft a Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church
To read "Questions and Answers on the U.S. Bishops’ Vote to Draft a Document on the Meaning of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church", please click here.
Why do we need to be confirmed if we are already baptized? What do we receive in confirmation?
Confirmation is a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As Pentecost was for the Apostles, Confirmation is for us. When we are confirmed, we receive the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
What is the punishment for reading the Quran in Christianity?
There is no punishment for reading the Quran. We are called to seek the truth wherever it may be found and we believe there to be some truth in the Quran.
Thank you for asking that question! I appreciate the opportunity to answer it!
What is lukewarmness and is it a mortal sin?
The following definition is given in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, “Lukewarmness or tepidity, in spiritual theology, signifies the state of soul to which the warmth and fervor of charity is wanting, but has not yet completely deteriorated into the coldness of indifference and hatred.” In this understanding, lukewarmness would not be a mortal sin as such, but can eventually (and quickly) lead to mortal sin.
The lukewarm soul tends to neglect the duties of its state in life. To always strive for the bare minimum fulfillment of temporal and spiritual commitments is to be lukewarm. In the book of Revelation Our Lord says to the Laodicean church, “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”( 3:15-16). Here Christ reminds us that if we are not going forward in the spiritual life, we are going backwards.
The Diary of Saint Faustina has this to say about the lukewarm:
“There are souls who thwart My efforts (1682). Souls without love or devotion, souls full of egoism and selfishness, proud and arrogant souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep themselves alive: My Heart cannot bear this. All the graces I pour out upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand them because they are neither good nor bad (1702)...My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: "Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will." For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy.”
If I don’t feel bad for a sin, felt very justified doing it and confessed, is the confession legitimate?
Quick Answer: It would have been best to let the priest hearing your confession know that you did not feel subjectively guilty for the sin and that you felt it may have been justified. Most priests are happy to address such concerns so as to help you make the best confession possible.
Longer Answer:
A distinction exists between objective and subjective guilt. That is,something can be always and forever immoral objectively, but the person committing this immoral act may have no subjective feeling of guilt after completing the act. The lack of subjective guilt feelings may stem from a habit of sinning in this particular way, so that the sensitivity to sin flowing over into one’s emotional life (feelings) is lessened or even completely removed. Receiving the Blessed Sacrament in a state of grievous sin can blunt one’s sensitivity to sin. Additionally, it seems that a culture that forcefully promotes sin and which frequently uses erroneous philosophical principles (often unspoken assumptions) that allow for such approval can dull the subjective knowledge of the natural law in us to a certain degree.
It is possible for one to be mistaken about the moral law or church law and its application to a given situation, even to the extent of believing something is a sin when it is not. For instance, sometimes revealing a truth about someone that harms his reputation is necessary, but the person revealing could believe it to be gossip or detraction, even though it is not.
The lack of knowledge (ignorance)and the circumstances (lack of freedom) can reduce one’s subjective responsibility for an act that is immoral, even to a great degree. If this is so in your case, the sin may have been venial and not strictly required sacramental confession.
At least the fear of hell (imperfect contrition or attrition) and a sincere desire to, with God's help, not sin in that way in the future are required for the confession of mortal sins to be valid (effect the forgiveness of sins). Guilt feelings are not required for confession to “work”.
It would be good to study what the Church’s Magisterium has said about the particular act about which you are concerned. Praying and asking for the light of understanding can assist in re- aligning one’s passions with objective reality.
I simply have a question about love and boasting. I know that 1 Corinthians 13 says love is not boastful. Would you consider it boastful if I told someone that I loved them, despite our views and opinions not being similar? (For example, when it comes to abortion). If I were to misunderstand love, would it be sinful?
No. Telling someone you love them even if your views are not similar is not boastful. Our love for people goes beyond agreement on issues and opinions.
Can someone commit an act of apostasy if he switches to another religion for few seconds and then goes back to Jesus instantly afterwards. Am I excommunicated?
The answer is NO. That is not an act of apostasy. It sounds like you are going through a questioning and struggle with faith. That is normal. One of the greatest prayers we can say is, "Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief."