The Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as Confession, is one of the sacraments of healing, which bring us back into friendship with God when we have turned our back on him. Our sin wounds our relationship with God, with each other, and within ourselves, but thankfully we have the remedy in the forgiveness and grace offered to us by Christ in this sacrament.

CONFESSION TIMES: Saturday: 10.45am - 11.30am & 5.30pm - 6.15pm

This sacrament does not just cleanse us; it restores us and strengthens us. It draws us back

into full friendship with God and helps us grow in holiness. The grace received in Reconciliation heals what is broken and elevates us; it helps us become more like Christ and continue the journey of theosis, which means growing in union with God.

How to Go to Confession (Step-by-Step):

You may find this guide helpful so that you know what to expect, but remember that the priest will always be willing to walk you through what to do if you are not sure. The most important thing is to be sorry for our sins and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness; it doesn’t matter if you haven’t memorised all the words to the prayers.

1. Examine your conscience.

Before entering the confessional, take time to prayerfully reflect on your life and actions. Ask

the Holy Spirit to help you recognise your sins, especially serious ones, and to be truly sorry

for them. Using an Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments or

Beatitudes can be helpful.

2. Be truly sorry for your sins (Contrition).

Sorrow for sin means not only regretting what you've done but also sincerely intending to

avoid sin in the future. Perfect contrition comes from love of God; imperfect contrition comes

from fear of punishment, but both are valid for Confession.

3. Enter the confessional and greet the priest.

You may kneel behind a screen or sit face-to-face, depending on the setup. Begin with the

Sign of the Cross and say: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [how long] since

my last confession.”

4. Confess your sins.

Tell the priest your sins honestly, clearly, and simply, especially any mortal sins (serious sins)

in kind and number, if possible. You may also mention venial sins. Don’t worry about

phrasing it perfectly; the priest is there to help.

5. Listen to the priest.

The priest may offer advice, encouragement, or guidance tailored to your situation. He will

then give you a penance, a prayer or an action to help repair the damage caused by sin and

to express your desire to make things right.

6. Make an Act of Contrition.

You express sorrow for your sins and your intention to avoid sin in the future. You may use

this version or another approved one:

“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You,

and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell,

but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all-good and

deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace,

to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.”

7. Receive absolution.

The priest will extend his hand and pray the Prayer of Absolution, ending with the following

words:

“I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Spirit.” Make the Sign of the Cross and respond: “Amen.”

8. Do your penance.

After you leave the confessional, complete the penance the priest gave you as soon as

possible.

Why Confess to a Priest?

Many people wonder: “Why do I need to confess to a priest? Can’t I just talk to God

directly?”

The answer is: yes, we should speak to God daily, asking for His mercy, thanking Him for His

love, and striving to live faithfully. However, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is much more

than private prayer. It is a sacrament: an outward sign instituted by Christ that truly gives

grace.

In this sacrament, Christ works through the priest, who acts in the person of Christ (in

persona Christi), to offer not just symbolic forgiveness, but real and concrete absolution. This

is something we cannot give ourselves, because it is exercised through the apostolic

authority that Christ entrusted to His Church.

Think of it like this: if you had a serious illness, you might first try home remedies. But for

true healing, you would go to a doctor. The priest, in this sense, is a spiritual doctor, offering

healing that we cannot fully achieve on our own. He is also a witness of God’s mercy and a

representative of the Church, which our sins harm.

Even sins that seem entirely private still have an effect on others. We are all members of the

Body of Christ, and as St. Paul says, “If one part suffers, all suffer with it” (1 Corinthians

12:26). Just like a sickness in one part of the body affects the whole person, sin, even when

hidden, weakens the whole Church. And when one member is healed, the entire Body is

strengthened.

Confessing in person also offers spiritual benefits that private prayer alone cannot:

• It helps us face our sins honestly, without self-deception.

• It gives us the certainty of forgiveness through the words of absolution.

• It allows us to receive spiritual guidance from the priest.

• It provides the opportunity to perform penance, not as punishment, but as a way to express gratitude to God and begin making things right.