Of TEOTWAWKI, Your Black Unconfessed Sins, and You

People sometimes think, “Oh, those poor people.  That could never happen here.”

And then it does.

The people in Russia who had the encounter with the bus-size exploding meteor, got up that day just like you did.   Remember that video of the tsunami in Japan?  HERE.

The End Of The World As We Know It… is coming for you.

One day, if the Lord doesn’t return first, and if you are not first struck by a meteor, a bus, or – in the case of members of the LCWR – a falling house, you are going to draw your last breath.

Your heart will cease to beat and you will die.

Are you ready to die today?  Are you ready to go before your Creator and Judge?

A mortal sin kills the life of grace in the soul.  You don’t want to go to your death and judgment – which could happen as you read this – with unconfessed mortal sins…. nay, rather sin.

GO TO CONFESSION.

There is nothing that we little finite mortals can do that is so bad that it cannot be, and will not be, forgiven by our infinite God who loves us.

His justice we are going to get whether we want it or not.

His mercy is there for the asking.

If you confess your sins to the priest – to whom Christ Himself through holy orders and the jurisdiction of the Church gives His own power to forgive all sins – they are not only forgiven, they are gone.  You will have the memory of them.  You will have to do penance for them.  But they are taken from your soul and will not be held against you in your judgment.

Hell for those separated from God in sin.  Heaven for those who die in God’s friendship and the state of grace.

Confess your sins.  Confess ALL your sins.  Confess them to the priest who has faculties to receive confessions.  Confess your mortal sins, all of them in both kind (what they are) and number (how many times or some idea of frequency).  Confess your sins soon.  Confess your sins regularly.  Confess your sins completely and with the sincerity born from the love of God, who is all good and deserving of all our love.

GO TO CONFESSION.

Death and judgment is a meteor out there with your name on it.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Four Last Things, Global Killer Asteroid Questions, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, TEOTWAWKI and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

17 Comments

  1. Pingback: Go to Confession! | Vexilia Regis

  2. Jeff says:

    Thanks for the reminder Father! I will be certain to go tomorrow.

  3. VexillaRegis says:

    Did *I* say “Go to confession”? Aha, a pingback from Vexilia Regis! Hi!

  4. Thanks for the sober reminder, Father.

    Going on my way home. Was planning to, at least every other Friday this Lent. Part of that ‘Make a plan for MY Lent’ meme you’re always saying.

    I feel my soul needs some cleansing forgiveness and God’s love right now. Time to sweep out the corners and dust the shelves of life.

    Thank you for posting this.

  5. Gregg the Obscure says:

    If you’re in the Archdiocese of Denver, there’s an extra opportunity for confession this month: the light is on for you. No need to wait that long, of course.

  6. eulogos says:

    There used to be an old Redemptorist priest at St. Mary’s in Annapolis, where I was received into the Church, whose every sermon made this point. “My dear friends, ” he would always begin, and then he would recount some disaster from the week’s news, which had come upon someone or ones suddenly. He might suggest some possible sins that sort of person could have committed, or could have been committing at the very moment of the disaster, and then he would remind us all of what happens to those who die in mortal sin, or what it would feel like to know that one had lost God forever.
    He could be very scary.
    But if you went to confession and he was the one there, he was very gentle.
    Susan Peterson

  7. acardnal says:

    Yes, there is such a thing as mortal sin, and it is not uncommon. Go to Confession.

    I knew a priest much like the one you mentioned eulogos. Fire and brimstone from the pulpit but gentle as a lamb in the Confessional. God love him!

  8. Jack Phinn says:

    ‘Keep up the fire’, Père John. Your reminders convinced me to go after 43 years of being away. Thank you!

  9. Charles E Flynn says:

    Chapter 11 of Confession, by Adrienne von Speyr.

  10. Charles E Flynn says:

    I do not know why this text, which I have posted several times before, keeps disappearing from Google’s view. It is from page 19 of Adrienne von Speyr’s “Confession”:

    If I mention to a third party that I am discussing various aspects of my life with another, he will generally agree that it is a good idea: “You’re doing the right thing, and I’m glad you’ve found someone who can help you along.” In a way, this will elevate me in his eyes. But if I tell him that I go to confession and that it redeems me, this lessens my status in his eyes, for those who do not go to confession always have a great deal to say against it. It compromises human freedom and one’s legitimate pride; it is antiquated and even medieval because it involves so many external forms. Those who do not go to confession feel they are above it; in going to confession I place myself in a “lower class.” At the same time, however, everyone is familiar with human dialogue; people opt for or against it at will and make use of it only when and to the extent that it suits them. For one who confesses, however, any choice on the basis of “it suits me” has ceased.

  11. Clinton R. says:

    Yes, our time is short. With the abdication of the Pope, the lightning strike of St. Peter’s and now the meteor in Russia, which reminds one of how we are just a few years shy of the 100th anniversary of the visitation of Our Blessed Mother to the children of Fatima and how she desires the consecration of Russia. Pope Benedict XVI announced in 2010 the prophecies have not been fulfilled. The return of Our Lord may not be far off, but in any event our time is indeed short. Father continues to urge us to go to Confession, because Our Lord is there to forgive us. Deo Gratias. +JMJ+

  12. MarrakeshEspresso says:

    Done it – went Tuesday. Went again today because I want to go weekly in Lent. Thank you Fr Z for being such a good priest and giving us the drum on this; it never hurts to keep ‘just sayin’.

  13. Mary Jane says:

    Going tomorrow morning! Thank you for the reminder, Fr Z.

  14. joan ellen says:

    Going in the morning.

    Jack Phinn says: 15 February 2013 at 6:22 pm
    “‘Keep up the fire’, Père John. Your reminders convinced me to go after 43 years of being away. Thank you!”
    Good job. Am going to say a Hail Mary that the graces you receive are so abundant that you’ll want to go often.

  15. Dr. Eric says:

    I have no black unconfessed sins. I made a general confession at Knock 11 years ago and regularly go to confession ~ about every 3 weeks. In fact, I’m going this afternoon, for Lent I’m going to go every other week. I won’t die unprepared, I refuse.

  16. Mrs.Abingdon says:

    I plan to go this coming Wednesday evening, thanks to The Light is On For You in my archdiocese (Baltimore). Thank you, Father Z.

  17. Cathy says:

    This has been on my heart all week, I work 3-11 and have had to work the past many Saturdays. Got a surprise this morning, a phone call, I didn’t have to work! Went to confession this afternoon! God is good, all the time!

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