What is Confession?

Confession is the act of telling our sins to a priest and receiving forgiveness from God through His Church and His priest.  Sometimes called the Sacrament of Peace, we will confess sins to a priest, and the priest through the power granted him by God will forgive and remove the burden of our sins.

Why is Confession important?

Confession is important because it frees us from our past sins and helps us to make up for wrongs done to God, to others and to ourselves. When we do things that are wrong, we separate ourselves from God and our brothers and sisters.  Confession is a way back to God and our community, and a way to find true peace.
 

Who can go to Confession?

Baptized Catholics of a reasonable age can go to Confession. Traditionally, children around the age of 7 can receive preparation for their First Confession. Those aware of committing serious sins should go to confession before receiving the Holy Eucharist.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus paints a picture of a truly loving father. In spite of his son’s behavior, when the prodigal son returned home, his father not only forgave him, he ran to embrace him, and threw a celebration (cf. Lk 15:24). This story is an analogy for the unlimited mercy of God the Father. His love goes beyond forgiveness; it actually reaches out to welcome sinners back home. When he instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus was reaching out to us in the same way. We too can “return to the Father’s house” by approaching this sacrament. Christ established this ministry of reconciliation and healing when he gave his own power of forgiveness to his apostles and their successors (cf. Jn 20:23, Mt 18:18, 2 Cor 5:18, CCC #1441). We sinners have a part too, however. Like the prodigal son, we need to decide to return to God. The resolution to abandon our sin and the desire to restore our friendship with God is called “contrition.” This repentant state of mind, along with the verbal description of our sins to the priest (confession), make up the first two elements of the sacrament itself. Then, the priest offers Christ’s forgiveness (absolution) and gives direction for making some amends for sin (penance), such as prayer, works of mercy, or self-denial. Through this sacrament of mercy, we are reconciled to God and the Church, given peace and consolation, and empowered to face future spiritual challenges (cf. CCC #1496).

Additional Resources - Confession

• The Vatican

• United State Conference of Catholic Bishops

• The Catholic Encyclopedia

• The Diocese of La Crosse