Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (the Sacrament of Penance or Confession) is an invitation to Catholics to experience the love and mercy of God the Father through the ministry of priests. Catholics can experience healing through forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God and the Church.
Catholics are always welcome to receive this sacrament - whether it has been two weeks or two decades since the last Confession. Often those who go to Confession relay experiencing peace and joy and feeling the weight come off their shoulders as they receive forgiveness for their sins. If you have not gone to Confession in a while, we want to welcome you back to take part in this beautiful sacrament of healing.
The Healing of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
“Bless me Father for I have. . . . ” Perhaps one of the hardest things we do is admit to our own wrongdoing. It’s hard to say that we have sinned—and be willing to turn our life around to avoid...Struggling to Confess
Okay, so I’m slowly, painstakingly working on the NFP book — there’s a bunch of personal stuff going on, and also I sprained my ankle and now everything is taking about twice as much energy as...Common Questions - Confession
Simply put, it is God’s plan. The priest is the minister of the sacrament acting in the person of Christ. In fact, confession of sins to a priest is the only ordinary way to have mortal sins forgiven after Baptism. Also, God knows how we can often rationalize our sins away and sweep them under the rug; and so, He wants us to confess and acknowledge our sins in a personal encounter. Know that our heavenly Father receives us with loving and merciful arms whenever we confess to the priest.
Remember that priests have heard hundreds of confessions over the years, and there are really no new sins. It is a great privilege for the priest to hear confessions and be instruments of the Father’s Mercy.
No, quite the opposite. he will be inspired by your humility and courage, and likely won’t remember your sins anyway. And remember, priest too need to go to confession. Even the Pope has to confess his sins to another priest.
Under no circumstance. If a priest does tell any person - even the police - something he heard in the confessional, he is automatically excommunicated.
“Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom, 5:20)
God’s mercy is greater than any sin we may commit. If you are truly sorry for what you have done and are willing to make the necessary changes, the answer is YES. God the Father longs for you to return home to his merciful heart.
Confession times at Holy Family Parish
Saturday 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
Sunday 11:30 am -12 noon
Monday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Or by appointment call 516-938-3846