In the Sacrament of Confession, we celebrate God's mercy and forgiveness. If we have sinned mortally, we are reunited with the Church, and given the grace to persevere through our trials and temptations in this life. All Catholics are encouraged to go frequently to Confession but are required by the Precepts of the Church to make at least one Confession a year.

Through our baptism, we've accepted God's invitation to become His sons and daughters, heirs of Heaven. As children of God, we're called to become holy (Leviticus 11:45) and perfect (Matthew 5:48). This can seem like a tall order! Only by the grace of God is this possible. God knew we would make mistakes, fall into temptation, and sin even after the cleansing waters of our baptism. We are human after all... This is where His love and mercy come to us through confession. He does not call us here to condemn, but to save us and free us (Luke 5:32)!

If we know this is true, why do some delay going to confession? A lot of times, we can feel burdened by confessing the same, repetitive sins over and over, wondering if we're even being forgiven. We feel ashamed, embarrassed, and confused. Contrary to how we feel sometimes, Confession is a place of victory.