Lost my first detailed response to this post, so let's try again...
Originally posted by kern
However, even after reading some threads in the archives I'm still not sure I understand quite what a "mortal sin" is, so I'm not really sure if I've commited one or not. And what if I've commited some mortal sins that I can't remember? I'm also a bit embarassed because I feel like I shouldn't even be considering communion if I don't know basic stuff about Catholicism like this.
1 John 5:16-17
If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.
Mortal sin is defined thusly by the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1857 For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."
Therefore we need to take three things into account when examining our sins, to see if they were mortal or not...
1) Did I commit this sin knowing it was indeed contrary to God's law?
2) Did I commit this sin of my own free will?
3) Did this sin constitute grave matter?
If you answered "Yes" to #1 you are 1 for 1 on the mortal sin scale.
If you answered "Yes" to #2 you are 2 for 2 on the mortal sin scale.
1859 Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God's law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.
Now, #3 is a bit more tricky. Not tricky in the sense that it is abitrary, but rather that it is hard to explain. Let us start by saying there is one thing that grave matter
is not, and that is subjective. However, not everything consisting of grave matter will be a mortal sin. For instance, killing someone is a grave offense but killing someone in cold blood would be a mortal sin, having to kill someone in self-defense would not be. Stealing food to avoid starving to death would be a venial sin, stealing the last dollar from a poor, hungry widow is a mortal sin.
So what is "grave matter"?
1858 Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: "Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother."
So, if you answered "Yes" to #3... Congratulations, you have yourself a mortal sin.
Now, before you go and get all scrupulous on me. Mortal sins are the exception rather than the norm. Typically one of the 3 qualifiers will be missing from the above... for example, cursing at your parents in a fit of anger would probably eliminate full knowledge. Pausing for a second to think about it and then launching yourself into a profanity-laced diatribe would not eliminate free-will. As rational creatures I think the one thing we always manage to prove is that we
don't always think things out. And while it is my own personal opinion that mortal sins aren't all that hard to commit (especially for Catholics who become more and more learned about their faith... with knowledge comes power and responsibility), they are still less common.
Originally posted by kern
Also, it was suggested somewhere else that missing mass is a mortal sin, except under certain conditions. What are these conditions? In a few months or so I will be moving on Sunday, and I will likely not go to mass on that day (it has to be Sunday because I do not have a car and my parents will have to drive me down to Austin.) Is that an acceptable reason for missing mass, or should I try to reschedule the drive down?
You can attend a Saturday evening service which would fulfill your Sunday obligation. Almost every parish has these services.
For a deeper understanding of mortal and venial sin, check out paragraphs 1854 through 1864 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
My suggestion to you before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation is to think long and hard about the sins you have committed in the past (this is called an "Examination of Conscience"). Confess all that you can remember. When you are done confessing those, admit that there are likely other sins in your past that you cannot remember. Mortal sins should be evident... sex outside of marriage, getting or helping someone with an abortion, intentional slander against the character of a person... etc etc. And in the future, as you become more familiar with the Biblical concept of mortal sin, they should become evident as soon as you commit them, because you'll already know that by what you're planning on doing, you are disobeying God. I should know, I've been there... I'm sure we all have been.
God bless you Kern, and welcome home.
