In baptism our sins are wiped away by the waters of baptism and our soul’s purity is once again restored.
However, human nature means we have a tendency to go wrong and to fall into sin which separates us from God and from the Church.
In the Sacrament of Penance we come before God, in the person of the priest, to confess our sins and to seek forgiveness.
The sacrament is not simply about telling a priest how often we did something wrong but about removing the barrier we have placed between ourselves and God.
It is also an opportunity to speak with the priest and to receive advice and direction on something which may be troubling us.
We also hear the powerful words “I absolve you from your sins” – which in themselves can bring tremendous healing to our lives.
We also make reparation to God in the form of penance which the priest gives during the sacrament.
This is a most beautiful sacrament and one which the faithful need have no fear of.
So intimate is the sacrament between the penitent and God that nothing the priest ever hears in the confessional may be repeated to another person, even in a court of law.
Only a validly ordained priest with the proper authority may administer this sacrament. (Catechism 1422-1498)