Reconciliation (Confession)

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also called Confession or Penance. This sacrament holds immense significance for every Catholic believer, as it allows us to encounter God’s mercy, experience forgiveness, and be reconciled with both God and the Church.

• Purpose of the Sacrament:
• “Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against Him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which, by charity, example, and prayer, labors for their conversion.” (CCC 1422)
• Conversion and Returning to the Father:
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a call to conversion. It sacramentally presents Jesus’ invitation to return to the Father after straying due to sin.
• Through confession, we acknowledge our sins and praise the holiness of God. It is both a personal and ecclesial step toward conversion, penance, and satisfaction (CCC 1423).
• Forgiveness and Peace:
• By confessing our sins to a priest, we receive sacramental absolution. God grants the penitent “pardon and peace.”
• The sacrament imparts the love of God who reconciles us, echoing the call: “Be reconciled to God” (CCC 1424).
• After Baptism:
• Although Christian initiation makes us “holy and without blemish,” human frailty and concupiscence remain.
• The struggle for holiness and eternal life continues, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation aids us in this journey (CCC 1425).
• Reconciliation with the Church:
• Jesus not only forgave sins during His public life but also reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of God.
• Receiving sinners at His table symbolizes both God’s forgiveness and their return to the bosom of the Church (CCC 1443).