“And Jesus, (will be) there, and Jesus is better than the priests – Jesus receives you. He will receive you with so much love! ” – Pope Francis.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation or the Sacrament of Penance or the Sacrament of Confession are all different terms for the same thing – the sacrament that forgives sins committed after Baptism.

 

When we confess our sins to a priest it is God who hears us and forgives our sins. Because it is a Sacrament we are also filled with God’s grace.  This helps us to grow in faith, hope and love.

The risen Lord instituted this sacrament on the evening of Easter when he showed himself to his apostles and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23).