Dear St. Paul Family and Friends,

This Tuesday April 5th, we shall communally examine our conscience and approach our merciful God in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Allow me to share the four (4) steps (adapted from USCCB) through which our relationship with the Lord and the Church is healed, restored, and strengthened through this Sacrament.

Confession. It is in this act that the penitent names his or her sins, acknowledging the judgment of God over his or her actions. For some, especially those who are celebrating the sacrament for the first time or after a long time, this might seem awkward, for it is difficult to admit one's faults. The Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, however, that even on a strictly human level, confessing one's sins can be a freeing experience (CCC, no. 1455) as a means of unburdening oneself of those burdens.

Contrition. It is the "heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no more" (Council of Trent, Session XIV, De Sacramento Paenitentiae, Chapter 3: Denz., 1673-1675). The sinner expresses the desire for a right relationship with God, which entails doing God's will. Contrition comes about through understanding the nature of one's relationship with God as an invitation and a call to discipleship, and an awareness of the ways in which one has not lived up to that call. The sinner who desires God's forgiveness seeks the Lord, because he or she recognizes that overcoming sin and resisting temptation come not from one's own abilities but with God's help.

Satisfaction. When someone harms another, the process of reconciliation in that relationship entails making restitution, and that gesture in itself is a healing remedy. In the celebration of the sacrament, the penitent is offered a suggested act of penance as a means of making satisfaction.

Absolution: from sin is offered by the priest acting "in the person of Christ." The real power of the sacrament is this incarnational moment, as the healing power of Christ in his forgiveness is given a real face and a real voice in the person of the priest. One can pray to God to ask forgiveness anytime, and all are encouraged to do so as a means of seeking and finding forgiveness for minor everyday faults (i.e., venial sins), but only in the sacramental celebration is that gift of forgiveness offered in such concrete form.

It is difficult to admit one's faults, and sometimes even more difficult to ask for forgiveness. Pope Francis, however, reminds us not to be afraid, because the Lord is always ready and eager to bestow his healing love.