Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
Love covers a multitude of sin.
Jesus said to them again, “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.”
“After a fall, stand up again right away! Do not leave sin in your heart for even a moment!"
In order to fully unpack how to go to Confession, we should first know what this sacrament is. Confession––also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, of Penance, of conversion, or of forgiveness––is counted among the Seven Sacraments as a Sacrament of Healing (see Catechism of the Catholic Church #1423-1424). Sin offends God, breaking our communion with him and damaging our unity with others (see CCC #1440). To restore this rupture, we must seek forgiveness from God and be reconciled with the Church. Fr. Mike Schmitz refers to confession as “the costly mercy of God in action.” The sacrament of Confession makes the reality of God’s love present to us, frees us from sin and shame, and facilitates a harmonious relationship with God and others.
Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. the Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as “the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.” (CCC 1446)
- Contrition: A sincere sorrow for having offended God, and a firm resolve not to repeat our sin.
- Confession: Confronting our sins in a profound way to God by speaking them aloud to the priest.
- Penance: An important part of our healing is the penance the priest gives us in reparation for our sins.
- Absolution: The priest speaks the words by which we are reconciled to God and are absolved from our sins.
The Keys crossed in the shape of an X is the more commonly known symbol for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The symbol is based on Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:19, in which he established the Sacrament of Reconciliation, giving the Church authority to forgive sins.
The Stole symbolises the ordained priesthood. The priest is a representative of Christ who grants sacramental absolution. A stole is a long narrow strip of cloth worn over the shoulders, which hands in front in equal lengths on the right and left sides. The stole signifies the priest’s authority to absolve sins and preside over the Sacraments. The priest is to wear the purple stole when he hears confession to symbolise repentance and sorrow.
During Reconciliation, after the penitent makes the Act of Contrition, the priest offers the Prayer of Absolution which is the blessing that removes the person’s sins, during this act he extends his right hand of the penitent’s head. The raised hand is symbolising the action of the priest during absolution.
As the priest recites the final words of the Prayer of Absolution he makes a Sign of the Cross over the Penitent, “And I absolve you from all your sins in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. Jesus “himself bore our sins in his body upon the Cross” (Peter 2:24a). Jesus has reconciled all things through himself, and he has made peace by the blood of his Cross (Colossians 1:20).
The Scourging whip signifies Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion. Before Jesus’ crucifixion he was scourged at the pillar. “He was crushed for our sins, by his stripes we are healed; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guild he shall bear; He shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses” (Isaiah 53:5, 11, 12). The apostle Peter reflected, “by his wounds we were healed” (Peter 2:24)
Three other common symbolisations for reconciliation include the action of penitent, the parable of the Lost Sheep, and the parable of the Prodigal Son. The action of the penitent is a symbol of forgiveness and reconciliation. The penitent trusts in God’s mercy, compassion, healing and forgiveness. The parable of the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son speak of God’s merciful and compassion towards the sinner.
As soon as Jesus rose from the dead and earned salvation for us, he brought his apostles a new gift. After speaking peace to them, he said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (John 20:21). Just as Jesus was sent by the Father to reconcile the world to God, Jesus sent the apostles to continue his mission.
Jesus then breathed on the apostles. This is a verse that is often passed over, but it has extraordinary significance because it is only the second time in all of Scripture where God breathes on anyone. The other instance was at the moment of creation, when God breathed his own life into the nostrils of Adam. This should tell us that something of great importance is taking place. Upon doing this, Jesus said, “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).
Notice that Jesus is not simply commissioning the apostles to preach about God’s forgiveness. He is not saying, “Go tell everyone that when God forgives men’s sins, they’re forgiven.” In using the second person plural you, Jesus is telling his apostles that by the power of the Holy Spirit he has given them the power to forgive and retain the sins of men. Having the power to forgive and to retain sins implies that the apostle knows what a person’s sins are, which in turn implies oral confession. Otherwise, how is the apostle to know what to retain or forgive?
In the same way that Jesus gave his apostles other supernatural powers (such as raising men from the dead), he gave them power to absolve sins (raising them from spiritual death). In Matthew 9, we read that Jesus forgave a paralytic and then healed him so “that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt. 9:6)
After he exercised this power as a man, the crowds glorified God for having given “such authority to men” (Matt. 9:8, emphasis added). Notice that Matthew indicates this power to forgive sins had been given to men, and not simply to a man.
-Jason Evert, Catholic Answers
More Reading:
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/is-confession-in-scripture
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/a-biblical-case-for-confession
Only God forgives sin
1441 Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: “Your sins are forgiven.” Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1140-1141
Read more about the priest’s role in confession:
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-physician-of-the-soul-0
The Lord does want us to come to him when we fall into sin. He wants to bring us forgiveness so much that he gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. This power given to the apostles and their successors does not come from within them but from God. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus gave the apostles authority over unclean spirits, the authority to heal, the authority to raise people from the dead, et cetera. No Christian assumes that these powers came from the men themselves, since God is the one that has chosen to use them to manifest his power and mercy.
In the words of Paul, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). The apostles and their successors are merely ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), bringing his forgiveness to the world through the sacraments and the message of the gospel. If God has chosen to bring his message of forgiveness to the world by means of sinful, human ambassadors, why would he not be able to give these messengers the power to forgive and retain sins? And why would this not be a natural way for Jesus to extent his merciful presence on earth for all generations?
If Jesus has set up a way for us to draw near to him and receive his grace, why should we prefer another route? We would be like the three-year-old with his father who, in a rush to get home from the store, begins to run. “Let me pick you up,” the father offers. The child says, “No, Dad. I’m fast. Just watch me.” It takes them much longer to get home because the child’s pride prevents him from accepting his father’s help. Likewise, God does hear us when we ask for forgiveness, but it is dangerous and often prideful to stay away from what the saints call the “medicine box”—the confessional. Why would a person wish to overcome their sins alone when they have the God-given power of the apostles’ successors at their disposal?
-Jason Evert, Catholic Answers
The only needed to bring to confession is a contrite heart. A contrite heart means feeling deep sorrow, regret, and humility for doing wrong, especially against God. It is not just feeling bad about getting caught, but having a crushed and humbled spirit that truly wants to turn away from sin and change.
Deep Remorse: Feeling true grief over your mistakes and wrongs.
Total Humility: Letting go of pride, excuses, and self-defense.
True Repentance: Being sorry enough to actually change your future actions.
Essential elements of every confession are an examination of conscience, contrition, a purpose of amendment, confession, and penance.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
(1450-1460; 1490-1492; 1494)
- Contrition: A sincere sorrow for having offended God, and a firm resolve not to repeat our sin.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. the Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as “the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.”47
1447 Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this “order of penitents” (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the “private” practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day.
1448 Beneath the changes in discipline and celebration that this sacrament has undergone over the centuries, the same fundamental structure is to be discerned. It comprises two equally essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the man who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; on the other, God’s action through the intervention of the Church. the Church, who through the bishop and his priests forgives sins in the name of Jesus Christ and determines the manner of satisfaction, also prays for the sinner and does penance with him. Thus the sinner is healed and re-established in ecclesial communion.
1449 The formula of absolution used in the Latin Church expresses the essential elements of this sacrament: the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church:
God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and the resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
-Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholics are required to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year. You should genuinely consider coming to Confession more often than once annually (perhaps once a month or every few weeks). The more frequently you go, the easier it becomes: your soul is cleansed and strengthened, you become better at examining your conscience, and more grace becomes available to you.
There is a good way to prepare for Confession. In Confession, your soul is absolved of sin. On your part as the penitent, approach Confession with a firm purpose of amendment, that is, with the resolution to change your sinful ways and come closer to God. This involves three movements: repentance, disclosing one’s sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation (see CCC #1491). To begin this process, the important preliminary step for how to go to Confession is examining your conscience.
An examination of conscience simply involves reflecting on one’s thoughts, words, and actions according to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church to identify where one has sinned.
Fr. Mike Schmitz concisely defines sin as “knowing what God wants and freely choosing to do something else.” A good examination of conscience will identify mortal (serious) sins and thoroughly pinpoint venial (lesser) sins. Mortal sins involve grave matter and are undertaken with full knowledge and deliberate consent from the will. They destroy charity in the soul. Venial sins are lesser offenses that merely weaken interior charity in the soul, but they often have the potential to escalate into mortal sins (see CCC #1854–1863).
A good and thorough examination of conscience will identify wrongdoings in regard to God, others, and oneself. If you are not sure where to start in examining your conscience, consider:
- The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), which thoroughly and helpfully specify grave matter.
- The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) –– ask yourself: “am I doing what Christ asks in each one, or am I not?”
- The 7 capital sins, also known as the 7 deadly sins (pride, anger, gluttony, lust, sloth, envy, greed) and all the other smaller unholy behaviors that fall under each.
- The Litany of Humility.
It is a good practice to write down your sins and bring the list with you in the confessional. This keeps you from forgetting something on the spot if you freeze up or your mind blanks.
Examination of Consciences:
https://fathersofmercy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2020Examination.pdf
https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-catholic-answers-guide-to-an-examination-of-conscience
Not only does it [the Sacrament of Penance] free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Penance is God’s gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
More Reading on Penance:
"God esteems repentance so highly that the slightest repentance in the world, as long as it is genuine, causes him to forget any kind of sin, so that even the devils would have all their sins forgiven, if only they could have remorse."
We put off our conversion again and again until death, but who says that we will still have the time and strength for it then?
“When you loose your way and walk away from the Church, remember that there is Catholic Church in most every city where you can immediately access confession.”
"It is not correct to think we must live like this, so that we are never in need of pardon. We must accept our frailty but keep on going, not giving up but moving forward and becoming converted ever anew through the sacrament of Reconciliation for a new start, and thus grow and mature with him.