The Thomistic Institute On the Other Side of the Confessional | Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P
Apr 21, 2024
Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P discusses the importance of confession in religious beliefs, emphasizing its association with God, soul, and grace. He also explores sincere confession before marriage and the transformative effects of confession in Catholicism, addressing common fears and the role of the priest.
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Confession Depends On Objective Spiritual Realities
- Confession presupposes objective realities like God, the soul, judgment, and grace rather than subjective autonomy.
- Fr Thomas Joseph White explains confession as a way to pass in advance the particular judgment and receive God's mercy.
How To Approach Confession Well
- Prepare for confession with contrition, confess all known grave sins, receive absolution, and complete the penance to seal the grace.
- Fr White stresses concise truthful confession, especially before major sacraments like marriage, and explains penance's role in cooperating with grace.
Showerhead Moment Transforms College Penitents
- Fr White recounts college confessions where penitents suddenly transformed spiritually after absolution, going from apathetic to fervent overnight.
- He compares the effect to unclogging a showerhead so grace flows freely and visibly changes behavior.