Pope Francis encouraging everyone to go to the Sacrament of Penance (Confession). It is the gift of Grace to God's People.
The Holy Father spoke of the healing available in
the sacrament of reconciliation at his Feb. 19 audience:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: Through the Sacraments of Initiation, we receive new life in Christ. This life we carry in earthen vessels, however, and we still experience temptations, suffering, and death. Because of sin, we can even lose this new life. Jesus therefore willed that the Church continue his works of salvation for her members, in particular through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which flows from the Paschal Mystery. The forgiveness we receive is not the result of our own efforts, but is the gift of the Holy Spirit reconciling us to God and to each other. While the celebration of the Sacrament is personal, it is rooted in the community of the Church, in which the Holy Spirit is present, uniting us all in Jesus Christ. When confessing our sins then, we confess to the priest who represents not only God but also the community of the Church that accompanies us on the path of conversion. Though this Sacrament is a great treasure, we may be tempted to dismiss it, perhaps due to laziness or embarrassment, or because of a diminishing sense of sin and its effects. Too often, we see ourselves as the center and measure of all things, and our lives can go adrift. The Sacrament of Reconciliation calls us back to God, and embraces us with his infinite mercy and joy. May we allow his love to renew us as his children and to reconcile us with him, with ourselves, and with one another.
Confession restores our soul to the state of Grace, in communion and harmony with the Spirit of God. Do not fear the confessional - for even though you may feel some shame in approaching it, the feeling of having the slate wiped clean again more than compensates for any apprehension. If it has been a while for you since you've been to confession - don't wait any longer! Seek out your confessor, or any priest. Call your local parish and ask to meet with him, no priest will turn down a soul eager for repentance! What ever your rationalizations have been which have kept you from going - put them aside! Come home!
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