Returning to the Church & Confession

[808Catholic]

Thank you. I know they were mortal sins in Catholic teaching. But, it would be so embarrassing to reveal to another human being. I need to continue to pray for courage to face a priest.

Most of us on this forum know exactly what you mean and have experienced the very same embarrassment; you’re not alone! Perhaps a different perspective might be helpful.

In the old days, Catholics used to confess our sins in front of the entire church. After all, the sins we commit are not just against God, these sins scar the Body of Christ: His Church. That’s why we confess our sins to one of our brethren, the priest, who hears our remorse and, by the authority granted by the bishop who receives his authority from the Pope and he from God, we make whole what we’ve damaged. I’ve heard it said, God is loving and merciful so He’s already forgiven your sins because He knows and loves you that much. Confession is a sacrament of healing not just because it heals us, it heals the rift between us and the rest of the church. When one person sins, we all feel the damage.

EVERYONE has committed some sort of sin we consider embarrassing. EVERYONE. I used to not look at the other people sitting patiently to confess their sins because of my embarrassment; now I nod at them with calm assurance because I know we’re all going to be made whole in a few minutes. The “regulars” know each other and we share our special connection. We know we’re truly blessed when we confess because God loves us. The priest loves us. And we love each other just as Christ wants us to.

Go with confidence. Do not be afraid. Jesus will be with you on both sides of the confessional screen. God bless you.