Time for Confession!

"Again Jesus said to them, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' After saying this He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'" - John 20:21-23

Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, that means that there are a few things you need to be doing in the next 40 days. The first is to go get your ashes, the second is choose something to give up for Lent, and the third is to go to confession. I know that's a really hard one. Before, I had gone years without confessing and I know some of you have too. It's hard to go tell a priest all the bad things we've done, things we don't even want to remember, or things we might brag to our friends about but never ever tell a priest. But you need to go. Little by little, as the days pass by, you've become dirty. All those little sins add up until your soul becomes sick, making you a target for the enemy and falling into something deeper and something much worse. Attached to our soul are all those things you've done to hurt others, things you're ashamed of… things that you can clean yourself of. It's really intimidating to walk into a church and tell a priest all of your sins because he gets to hear the worst of you, but in His mercy, Jesus, through the priest, plans to bring out the best in you and free you from all the filth you've picked up along the way. There isn't a better feeling than hearing that in Jesus' Name all of your sins have been forgiven. Can you imagine how good it will feel to walk out of there knowing that you are now clean and pure before God?

Most churches offer the sacrament of reconciliation every Saturday afternoon. You should look on your parish bulletin for details, or call the rectory and ask to make an appointment with a priest. Please know that they will not judge you. They're human just like you and I'm sure they've heard it all. You can also ask them anything you want and they will direct you on what to do after confession. If you have sins that are weighing on your heart and you're repented of them, then it's time to go and receive Jesus' forgiveness. Don't let shame or embarrassment rob you of feeling forgiven and pure. And if you feel a nudging at your heart as you read this, it's a sign you better make it to confession asap!

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You because You have left us the sacrament of reconciliation so that we can cleanse our souls of all the sins we have committed along the way. Take away from us any trace of embarrassment so that we can go and receive Your forgiveness. In Your Name we pray, amen.