I Confess

I still remember very well the day I walked into my church two years ago and made the first honest confession of my sins. I didn't know the priest; he had arrived after I left the faith, and was new to my parish. I rambled about it having been a long time, about always lying in the past to the priests and bragging afterward. He told me it would be okay, just to sit, relax and talk about it.

I told him everything, and when I was done, I heard these familiar words: "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and 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. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever. The Lord has freed you from your sins; go in peace."

Just like that, ten tons of weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Everything was behind me. I was home.

Most converts and "reverts" like myself can tell a story like this one. It's usually one of the most difficult things they'll ever do for their faith, but the majority will admit that when it's over, the joy is indescribable.

Some get upset with the Church when they hear we confess our sins to a priest. Men can't forgive sins, they might say, and there is no mediator between God and man but Jesus. So where do flawed priests get the authority to forgive sins? How is the Sacrament of Confession biblical at all? These two verses explain the foundation:

[Jesus said to Peter,] "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." --Matthew 16:19

"(Jesus) said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'" --John 20:21-23

Jesus gave His Apostles the power to wipe away sins in His name, and because the Apostles passed their authority on to others, all our priests can forgive sins. It's not his own authority that does it, but the power of God working through him. We confess our sins simply because the Bible tells us to; the book of James says plainly, "Confess your sins to one another" (5:16). Why would Jesus allow men to forgive sins if he didn't want us to confess to them?

Confession gives us the closure that is sometimes absent from just asking God to forgive us. Like all our Sacraments, it's a real and physical way to express what is happening spiritually. The best part is that our priests are bound to utmost secrecy. Every priest I've spoken with has said that they forget our sins almost immediately, no matter how heinous. Plus, it's also good to have an objective confidante who can counsel us, and spot patterns or motivators we would otherwise overlook.

This video, while humorous, does a fantastic job shedding more light on Confession. There are six minutes of actual content and then bloopers, so it's really not that bad. Check it out; you'll be glad you did.

One last note: kneeling behind the screen is optional today. Many people, particularly in my generation, were raised confessing in a comfortable and well-lit room, face to face with their priest. You usually have a choice of both options. It's also a good idea to choose a priest with whom you feel comfortable.

Physical Signs, Intangible Graces

Over the winter last year, I was going through a really hard time in almost every way: school was kicking my butt as I struggled to meet deadlines and set up a summer internship; my grandmother was ill again; and my then-boyfriend was laid off unexpectedly. To say I was stressed would be an understatement, and predictably, my faith had begun to suffer. I dragged myself to church on the weekends regardless, knowing that being there far outweighed the benefits of staying home.

After Mass during one particularly rough week, I approached my pastor and, choking up, asked for a blessing. He placed one hand on my shoulder, the other on my feverish forehead, and prayed for God to give me the physical strength and spiritual peace I needed to persevere. It was a beautiful and impromptu ritual, and in the days following, I really did find things were beginning to even out. Beyond that, there was something so comforting in the words and touch that consoled me in a way personal prayer couldn't.

Christianity is full of physical rituals like these that act as instruments of God's very real power. The Catholic Church in particular has seven of these major rituals, called sacraments. We believe that each one was given to the Church by Jesus in order to bring intangible gifts down to our human level. Wisely, He chose to do it through our five senses. Most of these are performed only once as life milestones, but Confession and Communion should both be taken advantage of regularly. That's what they're there for, after all. The Sacraments, coupled with faith, are centering points for all Catholics. It's through them that we truly encounter God. Let's break them down.