Confession is one of the Seven Sacraments, which are the physical signs of God’s Grace in the world. Also known as “penance” and “reconciliation”, it is how we receive pardon for the sins we willfully commit. Though baptism washes us clean of our original sin, we continue to live with the tendency towards sin. This is called concupiscence. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins once for all by His passion and crucifixion and He opened the door to heaven by the power of His resurrection. When we are in a state of grace, we are within God’s plan of eternal salvation. If we knowingly and intentionally commit a mortal sin, which separates us from God, we must receive the grace of reconciliation through Confession. Jesus gave us this most loving and precious gift through his Apostles (John 20: 20-23), who then passed it down through their successors. The priest hears the confession In Persona Christi, which means in the person of Christ. He is bound to complete and utter secrecy. Once an earnest and repentant confession is made, the priest absolves us of our sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we once again return to that most joyous state of grace.
“John 20:21-23 “”As the Father has sent me, so I send you… Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”” This is the foundational text for the Church’s authority to absolve sins through the apostles and their successors.
Matthew 16:19 *””I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be bound in heaven” This grants the Church the authority to define the God’s truth found in Catholic doctrine, including the sacraments and their purpose and power.
1 John 1:9” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.””
Mark 1:5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Acts 19:18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Baltimore Catechism: Lessons 18, 19, 20, 21″
Illustration by: Colton Rompala