Do you feel it? Every once in a while, it comes up in prayer or pops into your mind while you’re on your way to an appointment or in a conversation with a friend. Do you feel the nudge to go to confession? The invitation from God to come and be healed? I certainly do, and admittedly, I don’t always respond.

“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Heb 2:1

I hear you, Lord, loud and clear…

“Come to me, all you who are labor and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Mt 11:28

Have you ever considered the weight of sin as being something that physically exhausts you? The devil will tell you it’s not a big deal; you can wait to get to confession. There’s a whole bunch of priests that come around once a year or so, right? I’ll wait until then.

Brothers and sisters in Christ: DO NOT WAIT! The Lord desires to heal you, to remind you of who He says you are, to give you rest from the weight of your sin, to assist you as you persevere in running the race NOW.

St. Pope John Paul II says, “We are NOT the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus.”

Confession is not a place of shame or condemnation; it’s not a place where we realize our worthlessness but instead where God re-defines our worth in Him. Confession is a place where the sum of the Father’s love for us can be fully poured out on us, where Christ’s death and resurrection can be realized and accomplished on earth and in our lives.

SOME PRACTICAL TIPS TO GET TO CONFESSION:

1. Put a reoccurring event in your calendar to go to confession
2. Find a time that works with your schedule (see www.masstimes.org for confession listings)
3. Just go! The more often you receive God’s grace, the more often you’ll want to go!