About the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
WHAT IS CONFESSION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
No matter how much power there is in dynamite, if the fuse is not working properly, it doesn't do what it set out to do. The same is true with receiving Jesus in the Eucharist during Holy Communion. If our souls are not prepared to receive him, it does not do us much good and (like dynamite) it can even hurt us. So how do we prepare our souls? Jesus asked us to reconcile ourselves with GOD first before we receive him. In the book of John chapter 20, Jesus gave the apostles and their successors the power to release people of their sins. He gave them the power to release us of what holds us bound. So the great news is that when we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), we are released of whatever blocks our relationship with Jesus and we also receive special grace (special Divine strength) to combat the area of sin we have the courage to confess!!!
After all, if you and your friend are fighting you don't invite him over for dinner and a celebration until you make up with him first. A healthy husband and a wife do not join themselves lovingly in their intimate marital act until they have made peace with each other first. The same thing happens with God. And Jesus paid a very heavy price, the price of crucifixion in order to distribute to all of humanity throughout the ages that gift of forgiveness he won for us on Calvary. Let us make good use of this gift.
After all, if you and your friend are fighting you don't invite him over for dinner and a celebration until you make up with him first. A healthy husband and a wife do not join themselves lovingly in their intimate marital act until they have made peace with each other first. The same thing happens with God. And Jesus paid a very heavy price, the price of crucifixion in order to distribute to all of humanity throughout the ages that gift of forgiveness he won for us on Calvary. Let us make good use of this gift.
How does confession work?
Jesus came down from heaven in the form of a man, yet still remaining God, in order to pave the way for us to get to heaven. He made a way for us to get to heaven by dying for us on the cross. This humbling, excruciating sacrifice and rejection he endured allowed him to carry the weight of all our sins, so that we would not get what our sins deserved- eternal death. Instead, Jesus' suffering and dying for us one time, and for all mankind, allowed the Father to make a deposit of forgiveness under his Son's name. We can then go into the bank and withdraw that forgiveness every time we go into the confessional. If we say we are rich, Jesus paid the price and the Father has a big bank account of forgiveness, it does not enrich us one penny until we go withdraw the forgiveness from the bank for ourselves. Sure forgiveness is there, and Jesus paid the price and no matter what we have done JESUS WILL FORGIVE US, but why should we not withdraw the forgiveness as he expressly gave it to us, through the ministry of a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. See (Mat 16:1919, John 20:22-23; Luke 10:16). Would it not be arrogant on our part to refuse to acknowledge when we fail God, others or ourselves? And would we not be even more ungrateful to refuse to use the soap that cleanses our souls, the Sacrament of Confession, when Jesus paid his very last drop of blood in order for it to wash away our sins?
How to make a good confession
One of the effects of being sinners is that we become blinded to our own sins. Satan wants us to believe that there is no evil in what we do. If we fall into this trap- of believing that we are pretty good because “we have not killed anyone, or robbed a bank,” then our hearts become hardened and insensitive to the authentic demands of love. This is why conversion of heart is so important. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 'If today you hear his voice, (tugging on your heart) harden not your hearts...
God is a loving Father who desires that we see our sins, so that He can give us the grace of repentance and forgiveness. He wants us to be free. Satan, however, does not want us to see our sins, so that we remain bound up by them. When we begin to walk in the will of the Lord, however, Satan tries a new strategy and that is to accuse us with our own sins, so that we will become disheartened and return to our old ways. We must learn to discern the difference: God reveals our sins so that we can go to him in confession and He can free us and forgive us; the devil hides our sins so that we do not feel the need to confess them and then when we begin to walk with the Lord, he reveals them only to lead us to despair. Remember however, that God ALWAYS forgives us when there is repentance in our hearts.
God is a loving Father who desires that we see our sins, so that He can give us the grace of repentance and forgiveness. He wants us to be free. Satan, however, does not want us to see our sins, so that we remain bound up by them. When we begin to walk in the will of the Lord, however, Satan tries a new strategy and that is to accuse us with our own sins, so that we will become disheartened and return to our old ways. We must learn to discern the difference: God reveals our sins so that we can go to him in confession and He can free us and forgive us; the devil hides our sins so that we do not feel the need to confess them and then when we begin to walk with the Lord, he reveals them only to lead us to despair. Remember however, that God ALWAYS forgives us when there is repentance in our hearts.
Making a good confession
It is very important that we examine our conscience daily, with humility. This examination should be done in the presence of God, listening to his loving voice within us. This will be the best way to prepare for confession. Here are some helpful practices.
1. Go to a quiet place, preferably before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Only God can show us our hearts, how we have responded to His love and give us the grace to change.
2. Contemplate the life of Jesus and His love manifested upon the Cross. "They shall look on him whom they pierced" Jn 19:37.
3. Ask Yourself: How have I responded to so much love, to so many graces?
4. Attitude: Keep in mind that your examination is not just about numbering sins but about discovering the twisted attitudes of the heart and of being able to feel sorrow for your sins which includes a firm proposal to not commit them again. Keep in mind that there are always areas in which we are weaker and require special attention.
What does the Church Teach about the Sacrament of Confession?
The Church teaches that in order for there to be a true confession three things are necessary:
1. We must recognize and truly feel sorry for what we have done that has offended God and/or another person and desire to not commit the sin again.
2. That we verbally confess your sins to a priest on a one-to-one manner (most especially we have to confess any and all grave sins).
3. That we receive from the priest and complete an act of penance which manifests your desire to make up what you have done wrong and to no longer do it again.
The Examination of Conscience
It is helpful for you to determine the areas in which you need to ask for God's forgiveness by reviewing the Ten Commandments (God's written desire for the way in which we are to love Him and others). Remember these are not to be treated as suggestions, God gave us Commandments. To break them is to break our covenant with God and to fall into grave sin.
More on Making a Good Confession according to St. Jose Maria Escriva
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"In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance." - St. Thomas Aquinas |
