Why Confess Your Sins to a Priest (Part 2) | Made for Glory

Fr Mark-Mary walks you through the Ten Commandments in a way which enables you to go deeper into your examination before going to Confession. The questions he asks are helpful to anyone who desires to more thoroughly prepare to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In Fr. Nixon's first video on Confession, he explains where the authority of the sacrament originated. Jesus has the power to forgive sins and He passes this ability on to His priests. In this video he examines some particulars of the sacrament.

A priest may never break the seal of Confession. He is forbidden to discuss any particulars of what he has been told by the penitent. He assures us that priests do not remember the sins they have been told. After hearing many Confessions, a priest will not be scandalized by our sins.

In Confession we name what we have done. Declaring it out loud is in an important step in the healing process. The wound has been opened and can now be cured.

Key Takeaways

• Your sins are not that interesting.
• The priest rejoices with those who are coming to the sacrament.
• We are good at deceiving ourselves, that's why it's important to confess our sins.
• When we claim our sins, God can bring His grace, His mercy and His healing to our soul.
• When we hide our sins they fester.

Questions for Reflection

1. Have you ever been healed of a sin you were afraid to confess and felt the relief afterwards?
2. Did you realize how serious the seal of Confession is for a priest?
3. Are there things in your life you blame others for, but you know they are a result of your own failings?

Joseph Pronechen collects stories about several people who returned to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after being away for many years. Beautiful testimonies! There is so much joy in their return to God.

Looking for a different way to examine your conscience? Using the Beatitudes is a wonderful tool to see how we are not living up to the Lord's standards. "Am I gentle with others or am I harsh?" "Do I truly yearn for God's Will to be done, in my life and in all things?" " Do I love purity and honesty?" These probing questions and more are in this beautiful examination.

Fr. Michael Nixon discusses the authority of priests to offer forgiveness of sins through the ministry of the Church.

Jesus gave His disciples the power to forgive sins when He breathed His Spirit on them after the Resurrection. Through apostolic succession, each priest has the same power entrusted to him. This gift was given to the Church so that the forgiveness of Christ can go out to the whole world.

Through this power and authority of Jesus, we are absolved of our sins. Reconciliation between us and God and the community is obtained.

Key Takeaways

• Christ established the Sacrament of Reconciliation to bring forgiveness to the world.
• Priests represent Christ.
• Authority to forgive sins is lived in and through the priest.
• One person's sins affect the whole body of Christ.

Questions

1. Do you believe in the authority of priests to forgive your sins?
2. Why is going to a priest to confess your sins different than just saying them to yourself?
3. What do you think of the reality that our sins harm the Body of Christ?