Confession is a gift
One of the biggest challenges for priests is to have people recognize the Sacrament of Confession as a gift. We understand on a human level that confessing sins to another person is difficult and embarrassing. We know this first-hand through our own experiences of confessing to a priest many times in our adult lives. It is humbling and humiliating to reveal our darkest secrets to another person especially a holy man of God. There is value on a human level in the act of confessing, though. We need to get stuff off our chests and hearts, most especially the junk that comes from sin and darkness. I remember on reality shows from years ago that participants would use “the confessional” to privately reveal to the audience what was really going in their hearts and minds. There is even more value when there is a person on the other end who hears our confession and can do something about it, namely forgiving our sins and bringing us out of darkness.
The recipient on the other end of each confession is the main reason we go, obviously. We Catholics believe that is Jesus in the priest. There is Scriptural (John 20) and Traditional basis for this belief. Once that is recognized by people, the practice of going to confession usually ensues. The recognition is that this is from Jesus and with Jesus. No doubt He has the power to forgive sins, so no doubt that we want to go to Him through the priest for our sins to be forgiven.
There are still hang-ups with it, of course. Many people don’t like the “broken record” aspect of a frequent confession, and yet that is an experience of being forgiven seventy times seven by God for the same sins. Many people are afraid to admit to the priest that it has been several years since their last confession, and yet most priests rejoice that they have returned (like the Prodigal Son). Some people had a bad experience with confession when they were younger, and so it’s important that they find a merciful priest who will treat them with compassion and gentleness now.
We rejoice when we experience forgiveness and reconciliation with a loved one. So, too, we should rejoice when we experience forgiveness and reconciliation with God and the Church. Confession gives us that experience. It is a gift. It gives us the chance to let go of our junk and to receive the peace, joy, and freedom of the mercy of God.
