Why Go to Confession?

Why do I need to go to confession? Can’t I just confess directly to God and receive forgiveness? The Church teaches that all who are conscious of having committed serious or mortal sins, must confess them to a priest and receive absolution (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1455-1458). Venial sins should also be confessed, although forgiveness for these less serious sins can come in a variety of ways including devout reception of Holy Communion and making a sincere act of contrition – which is essentially asking God directly through prayer to forgive one’s sins. What motivates us to confess sins? Sometimes it is out of a fear of hell (remember the old form of the Act of Contrition – “because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell”?) Even better though would be to confess out of our love for God. Have you ever let someone down whom you love? You know the feeling of remorse, even shame for disappointing your beloved. Well, it’s the same with sin. Knowing that we have “let God down” through our actions or neglect, can leave us feeling that remorse and shame, leading us to ask for forgiveness. Also, there is a great benefit to celebrating this sacrament in that we unburden ourselves from guilt that could severely weigh us down. Sometimes we have done something so serious that maybe we think God could never forgive us or that we could never forgive ourselves. The reassurance of God’s love, mercy and forgiveness by the priest in sacramental confession can give us renewed hope and allow us to let go of the guilt and burden of our sin.

How often should I seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Certainly, as often as we are aware of having committed serious (mortal) sin. The traditional understanding of a mortal sin is when 1) we have done something gravely wrong (or failed to fulfill a serious responsibility) 2) we know and fully understand the serious nature of this moral evil and 3) proceed in doing that action (or neglecting that responsibility) with full freedom of will. If we are aware of responsibility for such grave sin, we also ought to refrain from receiving communion until we’ve had the opportunity to be reconciled through sacramental confession. If we only are aware of venial sins, I would recommend some regular pattern of celebrating the sacrament to help strengthen us in resisting such sins. Perhaps monthly, seasonally (think “spring cleaning” and then again in summer, fall and winter) or at least during the traditional penitential seasons of Advent and Lent in preparation for the great celebrations of Jesus’ birth and death/resurrection.