there are many dimensions to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God’s forgiveness of your sins is only one of those dimensions. it is important to inform our descriptions with the reality of what is happening. all of our descriptions often have a “yes/no” element to them. The Church, in the person of the priest “mediates” forgiveness, “yes”, but also “no”. the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
God Himself forgives your sins, and the Church in no way impedes this. if you imagine Grace to be like water, the priest is like an unrestricted pipe. sometimes by “mediate”, we tend to think that the Church could ‘get in the way’. when it comes to the forgiveness of sins, the priest pronounces out load what God says in silence.
this sacrament is much more than confession/forgiveness. it is a source of sanctifying Grace. as a Catholic, you distinguish between “effective” or “actual” grace and “sanctifying” grace, a distinction that was lost by those Christians that rejected the Church and the Sacraments. sanctifying grace is necessary for the salvation of your soul. this grace is received by a person through participation in the Sacraments. effective grace is the favor of God that a person receives constantly from God through prayer, acts of faith, penance, etc. if you would like scriptural “proof” of this distinction, reflect on the sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel, where Jesus says that without the Eucharist (one of the seven Sacraments,) you will not receive eternal life. there are also other examples.
the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a source of sanctifying grace. this sacrament is not just to prepare you for eternal life, but also to prepare you for this life. the entire rite consists of an examination of conscience, confession of sins, an act of contrition, an act of reparation, and the absolution from the priest. for all this good ‘work’, the gift of forgiveness is not all you get. you are strengthened to live your life more in tune with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. the priest is there to assist you in all of this. by his questions and guidance, you are taught how to properly examine yourself. by confessing, you are helped to be humble and to face your own human weaknesses. nothing is hidden. your entire person is brought into the light and ‘that which is in the light, becomes the light.’ the priest’s ears and voice are
your concrete proof that you are amending your life in ways that a disciple of Christ should. the act of contrition is part of that. on behalf of the Church, he witnesses that you have made the proper vow before God. by receiving penance, you show and promise that change will be brought into action. your action is proof that Christ has strengthened you. without Him, you can do nothing. after witnessing all of this, on behalf of the entire Church, he says the words of absolution. he tells you exactly what is happening. “may God give you” signifies that the priest is not doing the forgiving. “pardon
and peace” signifies that this sacrament is not just forgiveness. now that God has done His part, the priest makes it part of the visible world, speaking as Christ, “
I absolve you”. for the Church’s part, he is saying ‘if you are right with God, you are welcomed by His Church.’ all of this cannot be understood, without keeping in mind that the Holy Spirit has established the Sacrament, called you to it, and healed you by it. as ‘mediator’, the Church is making visible what the Holy Spirit accomplishes invisibly.
djrakowski:
Secondly, the forgiveness seems not to come from the physical act of confession, but in the faith of the believer that leads him to that confession. Genesis 15:6, also quoted in Romans 4:3, states that Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. So it was in the faith, not the action, that Abraham was called righteous. This also applies to the leper whom Jesus healed, which is detailed in Luke 17:11:19. Does the same logic apply to the confession?
no, this is not exactly correct. forgiveness happens when the priest pronounces the words of absolution. all parts of your participation are
your acts of faith. those acts give you the disposition to receive forgiveness and grace. what occurs in this Sacrament is not fully described in Scripture. one of the ways to understand this is to consider the divinity of Christ. He has the power to forgive sins. the Gospels describe what is visible. they do not describe Jesus’ invisible access to the person’s heart and the invisible exchange that happens between the person and his/her God. our episodes of using *His *power cannot possibly duplicate that, or ‘look’ like that. the priest’s ordination is
real power, the power of the Holy Spirit present in the world. through the Holy Spirit, the priest makes visible (and audible) the Son’s power to forgive sins. by this Sacrament, the Holy Spirit gives what was never available to Abraham.
i hope that helps.
and