Precept 2: You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
When we do commit mortal sins, the Church urges us to go to confession right away.
However, that is often difficult when we’re in a spiritual rough spot.
Even if we don’t doubt that Christ will forgive us, we often doubt very much that we are sorry.
And yet, that is what the sacrament of confession is all about.
We know because of our faith that Christ has given the sacrament of penance to us because we are not always truly sorry— we do not always have “perfect contrition,” the kind of sorrow for sins that comes because we have hurt our relationship with God.
Often, we are only sorry because our sins have messed things up.
For Christ, even that half-hearted “sorry not (completely) sorry” for our sins is enough if we actually choose to seek his forgiveness in the sacrament.
Christ, in his mercy, is that great.
Canon lawyers and moral theologians will carefully observe that those who have not committed a mortal sin are not strictly bound to go to sacramental confession.
But the Church does encourage us, even in such circumstances, to go to confession and confess some venial sins— at least once a year.
Despite this, there has been a long tradition in the Church of going to confession more often to confess even those little sins, especially as they form patterns in our lives.
For example, the practice of going to confession at least once a month is the recommendation of many great spiritual fathers and bishops alike.
This is our bare minimum discipline as Exodus Men as well.
What often helps when we seem stuck in patterns with small sins is to confess them more often.
This forces us to pay attention to ourselves in a new way.
Sometimes just telling the depressingly embarrassing truth about ourselves to Christ in the priest is enough to break sinful patterns.
Speaking truth out loud often opens our ears to hear God more clearly.
If not, it can often be the advice of the priest in the confessional, the penance he gives, or even the questions he asks.
The big thing about confession is, first, to go— once a year, but ideally, more often.
Second, however, is to pay attention to what we do outside the confessional.
It is offering each day to Christ in the morning and then examining our conscience in the evening that will prepare us to experience Christ’s grace in the sacrament.
We must attempt to offer our day to Christ to see that sin keeps us from throwing ourselves into the loving arms of our Savior.
We need to look daily to see more clearly what we are like and what patterns of thinking and acting are keeping us from experiencing the freedom to climb the mountain of the Lord and offer our “bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).
When was the last time you made a good confession?
If it has been more than 3 weeks—even if it has been 30 years—take time today to know the mercy of our all-good Father.
Then figure out when your parish is next offering confession and go.
If the time does not work for you, do not let Satan win another week of your life.
Call the parish, and ask to schedule a time to go to confession with the priest.
Hearing your confession is what your local priest was ordained to do.
Go and be set free.
