The Importance Of Confession & Penance!

God already knows our sins and Jesus has already paid the price for them.  So why is Penance so important?  In her poem “I Am A Christian”, Maya Angelou said, “When I say I am a Christian, I am not bragging of success, I’m admitting I have failed.”  It’s important that we admit to ourselves and to God when we fail.  That is one reason confession is so important!

Mary, Our Blessed Mother, also felt deeply that Confession and Penance were very important. When she appeared in Fatima, Mary said, “… People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord anymore, for He is already too much offended!”

Does Confession need to be made to a Priest or simply to God?  Many Christians believe that Confession and Penance need to be made to God.  However, may also believe that Confession and Penance need to be made with a Priest. Since Jesus is our High Priest :), I don’t think it matters how Confession and Penance is made, as long as we make them and remember that forgiveness comes through our faith in Jesus ?

“¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God”-Hebrews 4:14

And it’s important that we remember, we all fail, every day!  An easy way to identify our sins is simply to measure our day by Jesus’ two commands:  Love God with our whole heart and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves.  We can simply ask ourselves if there is any way we fell short in these two areas.  Another thought we may want to remember is that there are sins of omission and sins of commission.  They both matter!

Jesus Saved us from our sins, but Confession and Penance are required! They tell God just how sorry we are and how much we want to change, and that we do want to be closer to Him. Sin separates us from God; Confession & Penance brings us closer to God.  It really is that simple. 

A word on Penance. Sometimes Penance involves actually going to confession and doing the Penance we are given.  Sometimes Penance includes a saying a number of Prayers such as the Hail Mary.  Sometimes Penance is making a wrong – right.  And sometimes Penance simply involves doing a good deed to make up for a sin we have committed and offering that good deed to God as Penance.

In Psalm 106:1, it says “Praise the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercies endure forever.”

 While we are alive, there is no sin that God will not forgive in Jesus’ Name.  We need to seek His forgiveness now, while we still can ?