Do I need to go to confession before I go to communion?

Q: It has been many years since I’ve been to Mass, and I have a family wedding coming up that I want to go to. Do I need to go to confession before I go to communion or is that now out of date?

A: The Sacrament of Penance is still an integral part of the Catholic faith, although there are some Catholics who do not participate as often as they could. The Sacrament of Penance is about God’s love for us and his desire to heal us and set us free. This he does when we turn to him and tell him of our sins.

As a Sacrament of healing, Penance is for the good of the person participating, and brings many graces.

“Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.” (CCC, 1446)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides helpful instruction on the place of the Sacrament of Penance in relation to Communion: “Anyone who desires to receive Christ in the Eucharistic Communion must be in a state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive Communion without having received absolution in the Sacrament of Penance.”(CCC, 1415)

We have a little pamphlet on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, with prayers etc that you might find useful in your preparation. Please contact us if you’d like a copy.