Dear Father: What’s Confession Good for? Grace.

Q: Why do I have to go to confession with a priest? God knows what’s in my heart — isn’t saying I’m sorry to him in prayer enough?
                               
A: The simple answer? For the grace.
 
Hopefully you know that feeling. When you’ve gone to confession and walk out of the confessional feeling refreshed, renewed, and, let’s be honest, relieved that it’s over. Look around; chances are good that your confession didn’t cause the church ceiling to fall in or the walls to crack. After relieving the burden that sin imposes, we can rest assured that Armageddon didn’t happen and we weren’t struck by lightning on the way to our car.
 
Instead, if you’re like me, you feel like the weight of the world is now off your shoulders. Well, that makes sense, because in a way, it is. When we sin, we not only damage our relationship with God, but we also damage our relationship with one another.
 
So, when we walk out of confession and have that special feeling of reconciliation with God and one another, what we are feeling is not so much relief — it’s grace. While it’s true our sinfulness is “washed away” when we go to confession, we are also infused with grace. It’s grace that we are feeling when we walk out of the confessional. The sanctifying grace bestowed on us when we receive sacramental reconciliation is transformative. It makes a difference.
 
Why, then, do we confess our sins to a priest? Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives us the answer. By defeating death, the Risen Jesus definitively defeated sin. And what did he do? He gave the power to forgive sins to his disciples, the Apostles — to his priests. The Risen Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “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.” (John 20:21-23)
 
So, yes, God knows what is in our hearts. And certainly, God can forgive sins in our prayer. However, it is directly from the mouth of the Savior as to how we can be guaranteed that our sins are gone.
 
And the sacrament of Reconciliation also gives us grace. The priest, who stands in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) is following the words of the Risen Jesus. The priest, although sinful himself, through his ordination is following what Jesus himself said must be done. So we confess our sins to a priest. (I do, too!)
 
If you are looking for an experience of  peace, relief, renewal and rebirth, go make a sacramental confession. The world won’t end. In fact, it’s a new beginning.


READY TO GO BACK TO CONFESSION?
 
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide
 
If it has been a while since you last received the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), ask the priest and he will help you walk through the steps to making a good confession.
 
BEFORE CONFESSION
 
1. Examination of conscience — Before your confession, spend time reflecting on the times you have sinned since your last confession. You can find guides for this online or start by going  through the 10 commandments. The Laudate phone app also has a few walkthroughs under “Confession”. If you are feeling nervous, try writing down what you want to confess and bring the list with you.
 
DURING CONFESSION
 
2. Set up an appointment with a priest or attend a parish’s regular confession time. When it is your turn, you can either kneel before the screen or sit face-to-face with Father.
 
3. Father will begin the confession with the sign of the cross. Begin your confession by saying: “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been (length of time) since my last confession.
 
4. List your sins. It can be helpful to start with the ones that are most difficult for you to admit. When you have listed those sins you remember, signal the priest you are finished by saying “For these and all the sins of my past, I am truly sorry” but remember, if you forget how to conclude, simply saying “And that’s all” will let the priest know you are done and he can continue on with the sacrament.
 
5. Father will now offer some advice, such as saints whose intercession may be helpful for your unique situation or appropriate scripture. He will then assign some penance and ask you to recite an Act of Contrition. Most confessionals will have an Act of Contrition available for your use but a common one is:
   
6. After the Act of Contrition, the priest will recite the words of absolution. Make the sign of the cross and thank the priest before leaving the confessional.
 
AFTER CONFESSION
 
1. Regardless of your assigned penance, spend some time in prayer immediately following your confession. Give thanks to God for the peace and grace that come from the sacrament.
 
2. Do your assigned penance.