Jesus began his ministry with a simple message:
‘repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand’ Mark 1.15
As the Church continues this ministry the message of repentance and reconciliation remain central. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (also called Confession) is the sacrament of repentance and conversion. It is the place where the Holy Spirit is at work so that God’s new creation can be made manifest in our lives.
Many Christians regularly ‘make their Confession’ as a disciplined way of confronting personal failures and sin and of consciously turning away from it. They find in this Sacrament of Reconciliation a sure fountain of mercy and hope, and the security to tell the tale of weakness, confusion, uncertainty, failure into the ear of a faithful, loving God who desires our growth.
This is the context where there is no need to be anxious about admitting fear or failure; where we don’t have to pretend to be better than we are, or try to be something we are not; where we won’t be judged or censured –just challenged to grow.
If you would like to talk to a priest about making a Confession a member of the clergy is available after every Mass, or by appointment.