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Question 97

Father is it compulsory to do confession so as to take holy communion?  

 

Answer to Question 97

 

Some people have regular confession while others sporadically and others never. For spiritual growth it is necessary that at some point that everyone should go for confession. The sacrament of Confession works like a second baptism helping us to cleanse ourselves from the sins that have accumulated since our baptism and it allows the healing power of God to restore the broken relationship between us and Him caused by our sin. In the Sacrament of Confession the penitent Christian, in the presence of the spiritual confessor, opens to God his darkened and sick heart and allows the heavenly light to enter, cleanse and heal it. In Confession, as in Baptism, a rebirth takes place and this is why after Confession we feel cleansed and renewed, as a newly baptized infant. We obtain new strength to battle the evil within us and to restart a righteous life.  Having said this, it isn’t necessary to have confession every time one is contemplating to receive Holy Communion. If for example you tell a small “white” lie with the intention of protecting someone’s feelings – these kinds of small sins can be mentioned collectively if and when you come for general confession, but if the lie was to intentionally cause harm to someone then this is a sin that would bar you from communion and it would be best to come for confession before having Communion.