Confession

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, Jesus showed himself to his apostles. He breathed on them, and said to them: ‘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 20:19, 22-23

Confession is the sacrament given to us by Christ to reconcile us with God and the Church.

Jesus entered this world to forgive sins. Recall the words of our Lord: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). During His public ministry, Jesus preached about the forgiveness of sins: remember the parables of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11ff) or the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1ff), and His teaching that “there will likewise be more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke 15:7). Jesus Himself forgave sins: remember the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1ff) or the woman who washed His feet with her tears (Luke 7:36ff). He also taught us to pray for forgiveness in the “Our Father”: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (cf. Matthew 5:9ff). His mission of reconciliation would climax in His passion, death, and resurrection: Jesus suffered, died, and rose to free us from sin and death.

However, Jesus never trivialized sin nor rationalized it. No, for Jesus, sin is sin, a violation of love against God, self, and neighbor. However, in His divine mercy, Jesus called the sinner to realize the sin, to repent of it, and to be reconciled with God, self, and neighbor.

Therefore, we go to confession because it is a sacrament given to us by Christ, and it has always been a practice of the Church. regular confession is a healthy spiritual practice. Each sincere Catholic needs to periodically—every month or two—do a good examination of conscience holding himself to the standard of Christ. Each person should reflect on how well he has lived a “Christ-like life” by following the commandments and the teachings of the Church.

Perhaps one’s failures are not so much commissions as they are omissions. For all of these, we bring our soul to the Lord and receive forgiveness. The healing grace of the sacrament of penance washes away sin and give us the strength to avoid that sin again. The more we love the Lord, the more we are aware of the smallest sins and the more we want to say, “I am sorry. Please forgive me.” I am sure this is why saints such as Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II went to confession weekly.

Though the sacrament of Penance, Jesus

1. reconciles us with God, by which we recover grace
2. reconciles us with the Church
3. remits of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
4. remits, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
5. gives us peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
6. increases our spiritual strength for the Christian battle.

Confession at Our Lady of Hope

Confession is offered on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m., and from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoons. Confession is also available by appointment. Please contact the Parish Office to request an appointment.