Catholic Husband

Love / Lead / Serve

21 Years

I just celebrated the 21st anniversary of my First Reconciliation.

Confession is the gym of Catholic Sacraments. We rarely go, too sheepish to confront the reality of who we are. It’s difficult, embarrassing, and humbling. Of course, there’s the problem of a lack of confession times. When we do muster up the courage to go, we wait for 45 minutes at the back of an endless line of little old ladies who apparently just finished up a serious crime spree.

It’s easy to get lost in the mechanics surrounding Confession. The inconvenience, poor scheduling, and the natural resistance to verbally admit our own shortcomings all adds up to many of us going years between the Sacrament.

There is, however, something very human about the process of the sacrament. Summoning the courage to name your sins is cathartic. We can go into the Confessional without any pretense. The absolute seal of privacy gives us the ability to speak freely. You can expose your weaknesses in the hope of overcoming them. The priest, hopefully, will share not just a word of encouragement, but a thought that will propel you into your new, sinless future. When you consider all of those factors, it becomes clear that Confession is one of our most powerful tools in the spiritual life.

As I reflect on my personal growth over the past 21 years, I realize that there is no way that I would be part of the Catholic community without this vital Sacrament. The Eucharist is central to the Catholic experience. Reconciliation is critical to helping us prepare to receive Jesus in that awesome sacrament.

We’re required to go to Reconciliation once a year, usually during Lent. Do more than the minimum this year.