Post edited 2:21 pm - November 2, 2009 by saintstephen
Post edited 2:26 pm - November 2, 2009 by saintstephen

Of course Sacramental Confession done in a Spirit of Repentance with amendment to change our lives and performing acts of Penance will obtain for us Absolution of Sin directly from a Priest in the Confessional although the value of Acts of Charity or Almsgiving are also most effective in obtaining for us Remission of Sin.

We may read from the Book of Tobit:

Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is alms-giving accompanied by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold;for alms-giving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life; The Historical Books* Tobit Chapter 12

We may also read from the New Testament of Matthew:

(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,so that your alms-giving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. The Gospels * Matthew Chapter 6

For this is the reason Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world as Word made Flesh to offer a charitable act for the remission of sin. Even though man continually offers acts of charity, for the sin of the entire world an even greater act of charity needed to be done by God Himself and so it occurs that the greatest act of charity was done by Christ in His offering of Body and Blood as Sacrifice on the Cross to expiate the horrendous effect of mankind’s sins.

We may know this is true from reading the New Testament Book of John:

My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him. This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:whoever claims to abide in him ought to live (just) as he lived.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you, for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. The Catholic Letters * 1 John Chapter 2

It was from the great act of charity done by Christ that pleased His Father immensely as it is written of Christ, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”

This great act of charity was to become an inspiration for us all to follow in the same act as Christ Himself to offer our own selves as well in expiation for sin which we read from Saint Paul:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church,of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God,the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. New Testament Letters * Colossians Chapter 1