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A college student wrote in her school newspaper that sometimes she wished that she were a Catholic. She explained that if she were a Catholic, when she sinned, she could go to confession like her Catholic classmates and say, “Father, I sinned. I am sorry!”
The priest would then give her a penance. She would do the penance and feel forgiven.
She added, “But I’m not a Catholic. When I sin, I don’t confess to a priest. I confess directly to God.”
Her remarks made me feel grateful that as a Catholic I have the privilege of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Lent is the season of conversion and Reconciliation is the sacrament of conversion.
On February 26, 2020, Pope Francis urged Catholics to go to Confession during Lent to experience God’s healing love.
Then, reconciled with God and each other, at Easter we can renew our baptism promises and celebrate the good news of Christ’s resurrection with renewed faith and joy.
God’s merciful forgiveness
Reconciliation, also known as Penance or Confession, is one of the seven Catholic sacraments.
Through this healing sacrament, the penitent experiences God’s merciful forgiveness. Pope Benedict XVI said the New Evangelization goes through the confessional.
Catholics confess their sins to a priest or bishop.
In John 20:21-23, Jesus told his apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so now I send you. Then, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
In nos. 1465-1466 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “The priest is the sign and instrument of God’s merciful love. He is the servant of God’s forgiveness.”
To make a fruitful Confession, we must recognize that we have sinned.
In recent years there has been a tendency to deny sin.
In 1972, world-famous psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger wrote a book entitled Whatever Became of Sin.
He wrote, “The word ‘sin,’ seems to have disappeared.” This has hurt our culture.
In The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, “If God is dead, everything is permitted!”
In the West, for the past 300 years, there have been movements to banish God.
Going to Confession
In no. 1454 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “The reception of this sacrament [of Reconciliation] ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of God’s Word.”
Next, we must be sincerely sorry for our sins and realize that they hurt our relationship with God, others, and the Church.
In no. 1451 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “Among the penitent’s acts, contrition occupies first place. Contrition is sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again.”
In nos. 1452 and 1453 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “Perfect contrition arises from a love by which God is loved above all else. Imperfect contrition (or attrition) is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation.”
In no. 1456 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “Confession to a priest is an essential part of the Sacrament of Penance: All mortal sins of which penitents, after a diligent self-examination are conscious, must be recounted by them in confession. When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the Divine Mercy for pardon.”
Next, we make an act of contrition and resolve to amend our life and sin no more.
The absolution of the priest is the assurance that Christ has forgiven our sins and granted us “pardon and peace.”
In no. 1459 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must make satisfaction for his sins. This satisfaction is also called penance.”
In Canon 989 of the Code of Canon Law, it says, “After having reached the age of discretion, each member of the faithful is obliged to confess faithfully his or her grave sins at least once a year.”
In no. 1458 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says, “Without being strictly necessary, the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ, and progress in the life of the Spirit!”
In no. 1423 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says Reconciliation is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus’ call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sinning.”
By receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are inspired to be merciful as God is merciful.
This is a worthy goal of Lent!
Fr. Donald Lange is a pastor emeritus in the Diocese of Madison.