THE JOY OF CATHOLIC CONFESSION
"Bless me Father for I have sinned....it's been two weeks since my last confession and these are my sins." I have to admit that when I was 7 years old and making my First Communion at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Utica, New York, I didn't really grasp what telling your sins to a priest had to do with receiving the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. I do now.
Of course, the word "confession" conjures up all kinds of thoughts about crime, guilt, and punishment. However, the essence of the Sacrament of the Penance is exactly the opposite. For me and for others with whom I have spoken, confessing our sins to a priest is an experience of comfort and relief, an unburdening of the guilt we carry for offending the God who created us and the community that enriches us.
Over the years I've been asked, "Where is the sacrament of penance in the Bible?" After Jesus rose from the dead and earned salvation for all of us, He came to his apostles in peace and said to them, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21). The significance of that statement is enormous both theologically and practically. Just as Jesus was sent by His Father to reconcile the world to God, Jesus was now sending His apostles to continue that mission.
As reported by John, the instruction of Jesus was even more specific when He then told his apostles, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (John 20:22-23).
There are six spiritual effects of making a good confession: 1) Reconciliation with God; 2) Reconciliation with the Church; 3) Forgiveness of the eternal punishment for our mortal sins; 4) A lesser time in Purgatory with the completion of the penance we receive from the priest; 5) Tranquility of our conscience as well as spiritual consolation and comfort; 6) An increase in spiritual strength for the Christian combat against evil.
In my ministry as a licensed marriage and family therapist, I listened to and felt the guilt of many Catholic patients who came to me for help with their personal and family challenges over the years. And while I was able to facilitate the resolution of their emotional concerns and obstacles, and to some extent their spiritual worries, those that availed themselves of the Sacrament of Penance were fortified by God's special presence that resulted in a passion for living a more Christ-centered life.
The God who created us is a merciful Father and His mercy knows no bounds. He is always there, waiting for us to come home to Him, no matter how far sin drifts us away. And the Sacrament of Penance is the gift that we have as Catholics for experiencing God's limitless compassion and understanding of our human condition. It makes no difference how deeply-seated our troubles may be. Confession is a place Catholics can go to experience the joy of receiving God's forgiveness, and celebrating the joy of reconciliation with our Father who gave His life for our redemption.
