I Confess
By Rev. Paul Scalia
There are few things more distinctly Catholic and Lenten than the Sacrament of Confession. Hollywood loves to use its trappings: the mysterious screen, the dim light, the whispered words, the inviolable seal. But the reality of the Sacrament is better than any movies depiction. We know it as more familiar and less mysterious: The Light Is ONinitiative, the penance services, the long lines at the confessional during Holy Week. These are all standard Lenten things so standard that we might lose sight of the meaning of Confession. It helps to step back and look at certain aspects of the Sacrament and what they mean for us.
Confession is Human.
Although a divine institution, Confession answers a deep human need: the consciences need to confess. As Lady Macbeths Out damned spot! and Poes The Tell-Tale Heart indicate, we have always sensed that sin calls out to be confessed. And if we do not confess, we introduce deeper and deeper division into ourselves. When I declared not my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long(Ps 32:3). We know interiorly that we have done wrong and we sense that peace will not be ours until and unless we unload this burden of guilt. The ability to acknowledge our guilt before another helps us to set ourselves right with reality.
Confession is Divine.
The Sacrament comes from Christ Himself: Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn 20:23). The human dimension is our confession of sin; the divine is the work of Gods grace in our souls through the ministry of the priest. This requires of us a profound trust in the working of the Sacrament. We need to lean into it. Confession is not therapy; it does not matter whether the priest gives wonderful counsel or any counsel at all (although it can be a great help). Confession is Christ Himself touching our souls, working within them for our salvation.
It seems a little thing, but your Amen when the priest absolves you In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit truly opens your soul to that grace working within you grace to free you from sins past and strengthen you against sins future. Speak it as a true act of faith. The more faithfully that Amen is spoken, the more your soul is opened to the Sacraments effects.
Confession is Personal.
People can pray for you
but they cannot confess for you. Confession forces us to look within ourselves and examine how we stand before God. What an extraordinary thing Mother Church requires of us that we turn and face our sinfulness and look candidly at that personal relationship with Christ. Here more than anywhere else we are aware of how personal the faith is. Confession keeps our faith from being vague or hypothetical. It makes it concrete and specific: I have sinned against Him
and He has freed me from these sins.
This personal dimension has two further salutary effects. First, it leads to great self-knowledge. The more we repent, the more we know our true selves, in light of Christ. And the more we invest ourselves in this Sacrament, the more we grow out of the shallowness of our culture and become persons of greater depth.
Confession is Available.
We should confess frequently monthly. Most Catholics use Confession as a safety net, there to catch them when they are falling. It should be used as a ladder, there to help us ascend to greater heights. Confession is not just medicinal; it is also formational. By way of frequent confession we come to deeper self-knowledge, hone our conscience, identify our vices, and slowly but surely work on them. More importantly, by our frequent confession His grace digs into us more deeply, bringing us a deeper grace and a deeper freedom from sin.
The priests in our Diocese are exceptionally generous in offering times for Confession. So take advantage of this and not only during Lent. Confession should be a regular (monthly) practice to help us ascend the heights to which He calls us.
This article has been reprinted here by permission of the author after original publication at the Diocese of Arlington Blog- Encourage&Teach-https://encourageandteach.wordpress.com-
comments powered by Disqus

- The Word
- Prayer
- Contributors
- Father Edward Horkan
- Stu Nolan
- Father Jerry Pokorsky
- Msgr. Charles Pope
- Father Paul Scalia
- In the Spotlight
- Acton PowerBlog
- Bench Memos
- Father Boquet
- Catholic Thing
- First Things
- LifeSite News
- Father Longenecker
- National Catholic Register
- Ed Peters
- Monsignor Pope
- Father Spitzer
- Truth & Charity Forum
- Faithful Commentary
- Papal Audiences
- Adoremus
- Atonement
- Big Pulpit
- Blue Hermit
- Cabrini Center
- Catholic Answers
- Catholic Vote
- Courageous Priest
- Crisis
- Curt Jester
- Father DeCelles
- Digital Nun
- Dominicana
- Encourage & Teach
- To Find Fruit
- Father Cassian Folsom
- Friars of Renewal
- Inst. for Catholic Culture
- Just A Brother
- Liturgy Reflections
- Kathryn Lopez
- New Advent
- Path of Life
- Patrick Madrid
- Magis Center
- Nun Blog
- Nun Speak
- Pauline Faithways
- Father Percy
- Pilgrim & Priest
- Sr. Rose at Movies
- Spiritual Exercises
- Whosoever Desires
- Windows to the Soul
- World Report
- WorldWatch
- More Faithful Commentary
- Directory
- + New Additions
- + By Clergy
- + By Consecrated
- Glorious Streaming
- Air Maria
- EWTN
- Fr. James Farfaglia
- Journey Home
- We Are One Body
- Holy Devotions
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Marian Consecration
- BVM, Flame of Love
- Virtual Pilgrimage
- Virtual Vatican
- Holy Pursuits
- Scripture Reading Plan
- Family Catechism
- Catechism Reading Plan
- Lenten Reading Plan
- Reflections
- Holy Treasure
- Search Scripture
- Search Catechism
- Church Fathers
- Encyclicals
- Encyclopedia
- Summa Theologica
- Library
- American Philosophy
- Magna Carta
- Va Declaration of Rights
- Decl. of Independence
- The Constitution
- Bill of Rights
- Fed. Judiciary Act 1789
- Edmund Burke
- + on Revolution
- Charles de Montesquieu
- + on Spirit of Laws
- Federalist Papers
- Anti-Federalist Papers
- The Founding Fathers
- Alexis de Tocqueville
- + Democracy in America
- The National Debt
- Debt Clock
- Religious Liberty
- Alliance Defense
- Becket Fund
- + "Unacceptable"
- + Mandate Info
- Thomas More Law Center
- The Culture of Life
- etherScout Search Tool
- Faithful Scouts
- Human Life International
- + Talking Points
- Life Decisions International
- LifeSiteNews
- Spirit & Life
- Truth & Charity Forum
- WitnessWorks Foundation
- World Report
- WorldWatch
- Holy Orders
- Adoration Sisters
- Byzantines
- Daughters of Charity
- Daughters of Divine Hope
- Daughters of Divine Zeal
- Daughters of St. Paul
- Norbertines
- Our Lady Immaculate
- Passionists
- PIME Missionaries
- Salesians
- + Scriptural Reflections
- Salesians Don Bosco
- Sisters of Poor
- Seminarians' Dictionary
- + Benedictines
- Sisters
- Nuns
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Kansas
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- + Carmelites
- Sisters
- Sister Helena
- + Dominicans
- Preaching Friars
- Alabama
- California
- District of Columbia
- + The Thomist
- New Jersey
- New York
- Texas
- + Franciscans
- Felicians
- Capuchin
- Marians of Immaculate
- Mercedarian
- Poor Clares
- Renewal
- Readings for Today
- Spirituality
- Vocations
- Arizona
- Illinois (Alton)
- Illinois (Chicago)
- Illinois 3rd Order
- Maine
- New York
- Texas
- Wisconsin
- + Jesuits
- Society of Jesus
- + Trappists
- Trappists (CA)
- Trappists (MS)
WitnessWorks Foundation
For a Culture of Life
4 Family Life Lane
Front Royal, VA 22630
Facebook