In His appearance to His disciples after the resurrection, Jesus said to them: “Peace be with you.” And after He had said this, Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit saying: “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (Jn. 20:21-23) By so doing, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation –also known as the sacrament of Penance or Confession—and entrusted it to His Church.

When we were baptized, we were cleansed from all our sins and were clothed in a white garment. To be clothed in the baptismal white garment is to put on Christ and be clothed in His protective love. That baptismal white garment represented the “outward sign of our Christian dignity.” (Rite of Baptism for Children, 63). Shortly after being clothed in this white garment, we were also admonished to bring unstained our Christian dignity into the everlasting life of heaven which is our end goal in life.

Baptism cleanses us from all our sins including original sin. However, it does not do away with concupiscence, our inclination to sin. Thus, it is possible for us to relapse into sin even after baptism. The Lord foresaw this, and in His mercy, He instituted the sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins committed after baptism. Every time we sin, we cause damages to our Christian dignity. It is like covering the white garment we were clothed in at our baptism with stains. Every sin we commit causes damage to our relationship with God and with one another. It disrupts our friendship with God and takes us farther away from our ultimate goal in life, namely, union with God.

The sacrament of Reconciliation which cleanses us from the sins that we have committed, can be compared to removing stains out of our baptismal white garment. It reconciles us with God, and with the Church. This is echoed in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. We read: “Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from the mercy of God for the offence committed against Him and are at the same time reconciled with the Church, which they have wounded by their sins, and which by charity, example, and prayer seeks their conversion.” (Lumen Gentium, par. 11) This same idea is also conveyed by the U.S. Bishops who maintain that in Confession, we encounter the Lord who forgives our sins and grants us the grace to live a renewed life in Him. (“God’s Gift of Forgiveness,” USCCB)

There is no sin that God cannot forgive except the sin against the Holy Spirit, that is refusing deliberately, knowingly, and freely to receive God’s mercy. (Cf. Mt. 12:32) God is never tired of forgiving us, even if we keep falling into the same sin every day. He loves us, and longs for us. His mercy endures forever. We are the ones who get tired at times of asking for His forgiveness.

Like the Parable of the Prodigal son, God seeks us out with love and compassion whenever we sin or get lost. He does not wait for us with a stick in His hands, so to speak, ready to chastise us whenever we fall into sin. Rather, while we are still a long way off, God comes to meet us with His compassion and mercy. (cf. Luke 15:11-32)

Also, the priest cannot reveal any sin you confess to anyone or use it against you. The Church takes the seal of confession very seriously. Come to the Lord as you are, with your burden and pain, with your darkest secrets and shame. The Lord will free you from your burden, and give you rest and peace. (Cf. Mt. 11:28) If it has been a while since your last Confession, remember, do not be afraid. The priest will guide you. The most important is that you show up, be sorry for you sins, and accept God’s forgiveness.