Five amazing benefits of frequent Confession
Geo George - March 2024
The Sacrament of Penance, commonly called Confession, is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church. Catholics believe that all of the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ himself. In the case of Confession, that institution occurred on Easter Sunday, when Christ first appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on them, he said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained" (John 20:22-23).
What are the benefits of frequent confession? Here are 5:
1. Confession helps us to better 'know thyself'
St. Augustine and countless other saints and doctors of the Church talk about the importance of knowing ourselves well. Through coming to know ourselves better, we realized how fallen we are, and how badly we need God's help and grace to get through life. Frequent Confession helps remind us to rely on God to help rid us of our sins.
2. Confession helps us overcome vice
The grace we receive from the Sacrament of Confession helps us combat our faults and failings and break our habits of vice much more easily and expediently than we could otherwise do without the sacramental grace.
3. Confession brings us peace
Guilt from the sins we commit can make us feel all mixed up inside and cause us to lose our peace and joy. When we hear God's forgiving words to us from the lips of the priest in Confession, a burden is lifted off our shoulders. Sins weigh us down and enslave us, often giving our passions power over us, instead of us having control over our passions. With the healing power of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we can again feel the peace of heart and soul that comes from being in a good relationship with God.
4. Confession helps us become more saintly, more like Jesus
Jesus was perfectly humble, perfectly generous, perfectly patient, perfectly loving-perfectly everything! Don't you wish you could be as humble, generous, patient, and loving as Jesus? Saints throughout history have felt that way too, and they have frequented the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help transform them into people who are more like Christ. Little images of Christ-that's what saints are!
5. Confession makes our will stronger
Every time we experience the Sacrament of Confession, God strengthens our will and our self-control to be able to resist the temptations that confront us in our lives. We become more resolute to follow God's will and not our own whims.
Of course, the list of benefits of Confession goes on and on! But you have to go to reap the benefits! Going to Confession regularly will truly change your life. What's keeping you from Reconciliation?
You've often heard the verse from John quoted: "the truth will set you free" (8:32). Well, this verse is very applicable here: acknowledging the truth of your sinfulness before God and recognizing your need for His grace to help you become the person He wants you to be will really, truly set you free.
The words of absolution in the Confessional are beautiful: "I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus is waiting to forgive you-all you have to do is ask! Don't miss out any longer on the healing power of Confession.
"One might say: I confess only to God. Yes, you can say to God "forgive me" and say your sins, but our sins are also committed against the brethren, and against the Church. That is why it is necessary to ask pardon of the Church, and of the brethren in the person of the priest. "But Father, I am ashamed …". Shame is also good, it is healthy to feel a little shame, because being ashamed is salutary. When a person feels no shame, in my country we say that he is "shameless"; a "sin verguenza". But shame too does good, because it makes us more humble, and the priest receives this confession with love and tenderness and forgives us on God's behalf.
Also from a human point of view, in order to unburden oneself, it is good to talk with a brother and tell the priest these things which are weighing so much on my heart. And one feels that one is unburdening oneself before God, with the Church, with his brother. Do not be afraid of Confession! When one is in line to go to Confession, one feels all these things, even shame, but then when one finishes Confession one leaves free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, and happy. This is the beauty of Confession!-Pope Francis.
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