“Whoever sins you forgive are forgiven”

The Sacrament of Reconciliation has several common names: Reconciliation, Confession, Conversion, and Penance. In fact, when we receive this Sacrament we are receiving and doing all of these things.
 
Is there one “correct” name for this Sacrament? The Church names two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. These were instituted by Christ to continue his work of healing and salvation, through the power of the Holy Spirit.[1] We go to the Sacrament of Penance to be healed both from the wounds and effects of the sins we have committed and also to be healed from the habits of sin that are present in our lives. Saint John Paul II called it “a sacrament of enlightenment…a precious light for the path of perfection.” [2]
 
Thus, it is also called the Sacrament of Conversion because Jesus is present in the sacrament and calls us to conversion. This is the first step in returning to the Father’s love from whom we strayed by our sins. [3] Thirdly, it is also called the Sacrament of Confession, since one must confess his sins to a priest in order to be forgiven. It is an acknowledgment of praise and thanksgiving confessing God’s mercy toward our sinful habits. [4] It is called the Sacrament of Forgiveness, since the priest, acting in the person of Christ, gives us absolution and assures us that God forgives us and grants us “pardon and peace.” [5] [6] Lastly, it is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because it brings the sinner back to the full communion with God.
 
What is Reconciliation? Immediately after our Baptism, we are completely sinless. We are wiped clean of any and all sin, including Original Sin. However, we still have concupiscence, which is the desire of our flesh to not fully embrace what God wills, but rather our own selfish desires. Concupiscence leads us to sin. When we fall into sin after our Baptism how can we be cleansed from those sins? Christ instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to remove those sins and let us be sinless again as we were when we were first baptized. [7] Saint Augustine states that there are two types of water in the Church: the water of Baptism, which wipes away original sin, and the water of our tears in Reconciliation, which wipes away our personal sins.
 
How soon can a person receive this Sacrament? The Church has proclaimed for centuries that one can receive the sacrament of Penance at the age of reason. [8]  When is the age of reason? The age of reason is when a person can fully understand and distinguish right from wrong, and is intelligent enough to make the choice under his own free will. In practice, this is normally about seven years of age and determined by the Bishop of each diocese. [9]
 
Why do we have to go to a priest? Why can’t we just go to God? We are! Whenever we go to Confession, we are not confessing our sins to another human being; we are approaching a man who stands in persona Christi – in the person of Christ. “By his ordination, the priest is granted the sacred power to share in the priesthood of Christ. The priest is anointed with the Holy Spirit and given a new and special character that enables him to act in persona Christi – in the person of Christ, who is the head of his Church. This means that in the confessional, the priest, by the grace of God, speaks with the very voice of Christ. What we hear in the confessional, then, are Christ’s own words of healing and pardon, addressed to our individual circumstances.” [10]
 
In the Gospel for this week, Jesus gives his first gift to the Church after his resurrection, the gift of forgiving sins. Jesus walks in through locked doors, offers his peace to his disciples, and then shows them his side and hands. At the sight of Jesus, the disciples began rejoicing! Then Jesus says, “‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained.’” [11] A way to remember this passage, John 20:20, is to remember 20/20 vision. We all would like to have perfect vision, which is 20/20 vision. Sin can blind us from seeing Christ. Christ gives his disciples the power to remove that blindness and give us perfect vision again.
 
How can a priest forgive sins when only God forgives sins? Yes this is true, only God can forgive sins. The priest is acting as the mediator between man and God. He was ordained by the Church and given the power to forgive sins, which Christ gave to his Apostles and their successors, the Bishops. The priest shares in this authority as a result of his ordination, which connects him to the Apostles. When Christ breathed upon the Apostles and gave them the authority to forgive or bind sins, they in turn began to ordain by laying hands upon their disciples making them new priests who could forgive sins to everyone. [12] This priestly succession has been passed down since the time of the Apostles.
 
It is interesting to note, that the Scribes challenged even Christ himself when He forgave sins when he was in the world. When a crippled man was lowered from the roof of a home to see Jesus, Jesus forgave him of his sins and cured him. “At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’” [13] The scribes could not believe that Jesus could forgive someone’s sins since they knew that only God could forgive sins. Because we, unlike the Scribes, know that Jesus is God, it makes sense to us why and how He could forgive sins. Jesus was also fully human, and sharing in his humanity he imparts the ability to forgive sins to those who are ordained to share in His priestly ministry.
 
How many times do we have to go to Reconciliation? One of the precepts of the Catholic Church is, that we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year. However, it is good to note that we should strive to go to confession as frequently as we can, and certainly when we know we have committed a mortal sin. It was said that Saint John Paul II would go to confession on a weekly basis. If a man as holy as Saint John Paul II believed he needed to go to confession that often, then we should closely examine ourselves. One who goes to confession “frequently” is considered to go at least twice a month.
 
Why should I go to Confession often? What are the effects of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation? The effects of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation are magnificent for our souls! “The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship.” [14] By going to confession with a contrite and sorrowful heart for the sins we commit, Reconciliation gives us “spiritual resurrection” in that our souls were sentenced to death from our sins (both mortal and venial) and are given new life. [15] The Sacrament also helps us understand ourselves better, and gives us strength and grace to fight certain sins that constantly tempt us throughout our lives. Through this sacrament, “genuine self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect is resisted, the conscience is purified, the will is strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained and grace is increased.” [16]
 
It also reconciles us back to the Church. When we are in the state of Mortal Sin, we are forbidden to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist. [17] It is only when we go to the Sacrament of Penance and reconcile ourselves that we can obtain graces and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. We are strengthened by the graces God has given us by the Sacrament of Penance. We reconnect with the Body of Christ, all of us who are still alive, and those who have died in the grace of God. [18]
 
Finally, in this sacrament, we place ourselves before God in anticipation, in a certain way, the judgment, which we all face immediately when we die. We are still living and, by living, we are still given the choice between life and death. “In converting to Christ through penance and faith, the sinner passes from death to life and ‘does not come into judgment.’ [19]” [20]
 
Do we need to go to Confession if we only have venial sins? We do not need, nor are we required, to go to confession if we only have venial sins on our soul. However, it is still prudent to go to the Sacrament if we feel our venial sins are habitual ones so that we may receive advice, counsel, and strength to stop committing even venial sins. Venial sins add up like drops of water in a bucket, the bucket needs to be emptied and is done so through Confession. Another way to think of the seriousness of venial and moral sins is the example of bugs on a windshield. If we were to go on a long drive over several hours, eventually there would be many bugs that would be splattered on the windshield. Although these bugs are small, eventually the small bugs add up in number and obstruct the vision of the driver. Venial sins are like these small bugs that begin to obstruct the moral vision of the Christian. When need to get out of the car and wash the windshield, we need to go into the confessional and wash the soul. Using the same analogy, if we were driving the car and were to hit a large animal (mortal sin) we would have to stop immediately and fix the damage done to the car, just as when we commit mortal sin, we immediately go to confession.
 
What if we are not sorry for our sins when going to confession? One of the requirements of receiving full pardon and peace from the Sacrament is to be genuinely sorry for our sins. If we do not have contrition, or sorrow for the sins we have committed against God, then we are not forgiven of those sins. [21]
 
What if we leave something out knowingly? Then it would be as if the confession never happened and we are not forgiven of our sins. We cannot hold anything back from God. If we are truly sorry, we must go to him full of humility and seek forgiveness for everything we have done to offend him.
 
What if we forget to confess something? If we truly forget to confess something before we receive absolution, we are still forgiven of that sin. If it is a Mortal Sin, it is good practice at your next Confession to confess that sin. The sin is forgiven, but the graces you will build up are invaluable. To make sure one knows all their sins, they should do a good examination of conscience before going to the Sacrament of Penance. We should take the proper time to recall the times we had offended God so we can always make a good and holy confession.
 
What if a priest tells someone my sins? The priest is bound by Canon Law to never say a single word that is spoken in the confessional. Even if the priest was put in court and sworn under oath, he is forbidden to say anything. If he were to say anything from the confessional, he will be stripped of his priestly duties, automatically excommunicated from the Church, and he could only be brought back into the Church by the authority of the Pope. It is also important to note that most priests who have been hearing confessions for any time have already heard everything before. There’s nothing that is going to “shock” them or cause them not forgive you. Also, many priests hear dozens if not hundreds of confessions in any given week. This is on top of their regular schedule, so to remember a specific person’s confession would be extremely difficult for them.  Most priests in fact will tell you that they can’t even remember anything that they hear in the confessional.  Since they are there in the person of Christ, it’s not them that the person is really talking to – it’s Christ himself – so there is no reason for them to remember what is said.
 
Who does the priest or even the Pope go to hear their confession? The Pope has a specific confessor that hears his confession. He can also go to any other ordained priest, bishop, or cardinal to have his confession heard. This is the same with any other priest. They must go to another brother priest to have their sins heard and forgiven. In an act of humility, Pope Francis recently became the first pope to be seen publicly going to confession. 
 
Activity - Bandana Skit
 
This activity is great for medium to large groups (15+ people). Also, make sure to have at least five (5) bandanas or scarves.
 
Ask for two volunteers, one must be male. (Preferably have the other be a female since you will need one more male volunteer for this activity later.) Once you have them up, tell the male volunteer he will be playing the role of Jesus, and the other person (for the sake of this sheet I will identify the volunteer as a girl) will play the role of an everyday person.
 
Have Jesus be holding something, a box of Oreos, some candy, and a toy, something visual that will represent all the graces Jesus wants to give us. Have the girl go and take the item and give Jesus a handshake, a high five, or something to show a connection. Now, have her hand back the gift to Jesus.
 
Bandana #1 (Ears) – Now, have the girl face the audience. Explain to the audience that she had been hanging around with some new friends and she was over hearing some juicy gossip. She was also listening to inappropriate music, or possibly she has been listening to music 24/7 and will never take out her ear buds. Then, tie a bandana around the girl’s ears. *The best way to do this is to start at the bottom and tie it at the top of her head. It will look like she has a toothache.
 
Once bound, explain that Jesus speaks to us in silence. Hearing false information and negative messages can make us deaf to hearing God. If we have our music constantly on or are only listening to the latest gossip or music we are not focused on trying to listen to God.
 
Bandana #2 (mouth) - Now explain to everyone that since she has been listening to all this gossip and music, she started spreading the rumors and lies about people. She may also have been sarcastic at times, (explain that the word “sarcasm” means tearing of the flesh with words), and started using inappropriate language around family, friends, and even strangers. Then, tie a bandana around the girl’s mouth.
 
Explain that Jesus does not want us to spread lies, falsehoods, or  speak badly about others. We should “speak of God and/or about God”. By speaking falsely, we lose trust from people. By speaking vulgar language, we lose the vocabulary to express how we truly feel.
 
Bandana #3 (eyes) - Next, tell the audience that the girl was out at the mall with her friends (or in the school hallways, or any place of you choose that’s relevant) and she sees a really, REALLY attractive guy. She gives a very long stare, looking at the boy in an objectifying way. Then, go ahead and blindfold her eyes.
 
Explain that when we look at a man or woman as an object we are looking at them with Lust. We do not see their divine soul radiating from them, but only a means by which our sexual pleasures might be fulfilled.
 
Before going to the next bandana, mention to the audience how quickly she has sinned in so many ways. Also explain that now, even with these small slip-ups, she can’t see, hear, or speak to Jesus.
 
Bandana #4 (hands) - Tell the audience that while at the mall, the girl decided to shop lift from her favorite clothing store. She knew it was not the right thing to do, but she really wanted it and could not afford it. Next, bind her hands with the bandana.
 
Explain that now she has moved into mortal sin. She knew what she was doing was wrong, stealing, which is a grave sin, and she freely chose to do it anyway. This is when she needs to go to confession immediately, but she doesn’t.
 
Bandana #5 (feet) - Tell the audience that hanging out with this new group of people has led her down the wrong path. Instead of building up the Church, it has led her to breakdown the Church, breakdown her faith, and she begins to doubt the Catholic Church. Then, bind her feet at her ankles.
 
Explain how quickly sin can become a slippery slope. Satan wants nothing more than to make us think he doesn’t exist, that our sins don’t matter. If we don’t think Satan exists, and that there are no consequences of our actions, then do we even believe God exists? The truth is, God does exist, and our actions have consequences here in this world and after we die.
 
Now, ask for another male volunteer. Once chosen, have them play the role of the priest. Now, read the Gospel of John 20:20-23. Explain that the person playing the priest is the mediator to Jesus.
 
Next, have the girl face the priest and begin talking for the girl as if she is in the confessional. As you begin confessing one of the five sins, have the priest take off that particular bandana. (*It is sometimes easier to start at the feet and go up) After all the bandanas have been removed, ask the girl how she feels. Then let her go to Jesus and take the object again as a sign of her unity with Christ again.
 
Conclusion: There are two stories that could be used here. One is the story of St. Faustina going to her superior stating she was seeing and speaking to Jesus. At first, her priest did not believe her. He asked her to ask Jesus what was the last sin he confessed. She went to Jesus and He said, “I don’t know. He has already gone to the Sacrament of Penance.” This shows God’s love and mercy to us and he not only forgives our sins but forgets them as well.

Alternately, someone may ask, “Why do I need to keep going to confession if I keep having to confess the same sin?” Tell them this story: There were two brothers, one was in the army as a nurse and the other was a marine on the frontline. The marine was shot in the arm and badly wounded. He goes to see his brother. His brother, the nurse, goes and cleans him up, bandages him, and gets him back to full health. Once in full health the marine has to go back to the front line to fight again. Is there a chance he could get shot again? Yes! Is there a chance he won’t? Of course! This is what it is like for us in our spiritual warfare. We get wounded from sin, and we need to go to the doctor to clean our wounds, which is Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance. If the brother got shot again, would his brother the nurse reject helping him again? Of course not! Neither does Jesus. He is always waiting for us to come and be healed from our sins. 

[1] CCC 1421
[2] St. Pope John Paul II, Vatican City, March 27, 2004
[3] CCC 1423
[4] CCC 1424
[5] OP 46: formula of absolution.
[6] CCC 1424
[7] CCC 1446
[8] Fourth Council of Lateran (1215)
[9] Basic Catholic Catechism Course pg. 104
[10] Archbishop Jose Gomez, The Tender Mercy of God
[11] John 20:20-23
[12] Acts 8:17
[13] Matthew 9:3
[14] Roman Catechism, II, V, 18
[15] CCC 1468
[16] Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi, II
[17] CIC 916
[18] CCC 1469
[19] Jn 5:24
[20] CCC 1470
[21] Basic Catholic Catechism Course pg. 105