Going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is hard. It’s not that it’s inconvenient, it’s that it is uncomfortable.
The Sacrament isn’t optional though. It is absolutely vital to your success as a human person, as a Catholic, as a man, as a husband, and as a father. The graces in the Sacrament will do more in helping you fill your vocational role than almost any other single activity.
Sometimes it can be hard to determine if you need to go to Confession. Here are a few ways that I can tell if I need to go to confession.
It has been more than four weeks
I am in a state of mortal sin
I am afraid to go
I am afraid that the priest will recognize you
I am afraid that your penance will be public
I don’t like going to Confession
Most of those circumstances involve a fear of some sort. That is a problem in two ways. First, it is a symptom of pride. We are a proud gender, us men. It can be our fatal flaw. Don’t let your pride get in the way of growing in your faith.
Second, most of those excuses are simply the words of the devil. By your going to Confession, you gain graces and tools to fight temptation and do better in your faith walk. So, if Satan can get you to avoid the Sacrament, he has better odds of enslaving you.
I’m sorry to be the first to tell you that your sins aren’t that interesting to the Priest. He has heard them all, and worse, before.
That’s not to say that they are unimportant. They are what is holding you back from being the best possible person you can. It is to say that being concerned with your sins is not a valid excuse to avoid the sacrament.
You have a choice. You can be Judas: sin, feel regret, and then die. Or you can be Peter: sin, feel regret, repent and live!
