The Importance of Confession

By Liz Wiskowski

      Did you ever notice the number of people that receive communion, but how few go to confession? Are they all saintly and feel that they have nothing to confess? I don’t think so. There are many different excuses. Some I have heard are:

      Is it really necessary? God knows I am sorry for my sins. Yes, because God wills it. He came to earth, gave us priests, and gave them the power to forgive sins in His name. In doing so, we are obliged to confess.

      Why must I confess to a priest, who is just a man? A priest is not just any man. It is not before man, but before Jesus Christ that we kneel and confess. It is God himself who gives us absolution through the priest.

      I went to confession often when I was young, but kept falling back into bad habits. What good does it do? Our souls, like our bodies, need nourishment. We receive it through the graces we receive by confessing. Pray, confess, serve God and never weary. Keep trying, one day at a time, and it will gradually become easier.

      It’s too hard. I don’t have the courage. Yes, the first step can be difficult. We have to swallow that self-love, our pride, to admit the wrongs we have done. Remember, God is all loving, all forgiving, and wants His lost sheep to return to the fold.

      The priest might tell someone what I have told him. Never! Priests are prepared to die rather than reveal anything said in confession, and some of them have died. It has never been known to happen that a priest broke the seal of confession.

      It’s been so long, I don’t remember how. This one is simple. Ask any priest you have confidence in and he will counsel you. Any priest will be happy to help you to come back to God. You don’t have to go into long details. Be humble, ask forgiveness, and everything will fall into place.

      I never could remember all of my sins. So what! Nobody can. Make a good examination of conscience; ask God to forgive all your sins, known and unknown. God who knows all will pardon all when He sees true, sincere, repentance.

      Please, get on your knees, go to reconciliation. Make a firm promise to God and to Yourself to do better, to go more often and you will receive the joy and peace of knowing your soul is once again clean and white as snow.

For more information on the Sacrament of Reconciliation please see the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1422-1498. For some Biblical references see Numbers 5:6-7, Acts 19:18, James 5:16, John 20:23, and Matthew 16:19 & 18:18.