" [Jesus] said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'" (Jn 20:21-23)
Reconciliation
Also called penance or confession. Our God who created us, knows our weaknesses. He constantly offers his forgiveness to us, through his minister, the priest. Jesus himself gave this authority to his priests as he instituted a way to restore relationship with him. The more we go to this sacrament of God's mercy and love, the more we get molded and shaped into the perfect child God intended us to be. “Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more," how great is our joy that God searches for us when we stray from the fold. He tells us “not to be afraid," He is waiting with open arms…in the confessional!
To view confession times, click on
Mass, Confession, & Adoration
Bishop Olmsted Interview on Confession from St. Anne on Vimeo.