Many Christians ask: Why not just confess directly to God? After all, He sees the heart and hears every prayer. And yes—Catholics absolutely believe that God can forgive sins through sincere personal repentance. But the Church also teaches that Jesus instituted a sacramental way of receiving that forgiveness: through Confession.
So I come—not with shame, but with longing. I come to be breathed upon, to be sent anew, to hear the words that heal: “Your sins are forgiven.” The Sacrament of Confession is a gift to grow in Christ’s love, we are lifted by grace.
Christ’s words echo through the locked rooms of my soul: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And with that breath of mercy, I am invited to step into the light—to examine, to confess, to be forgiven.
Since my last confession, where have I wandered? Where have I withheld love, truth, or surrender?
Have I truly placed God first, or have I bowed to lesser gods—comfort, control, distraction? Have I prayed with my whole heart, or merely out of habit? Have I received the Eucharist with reverence, or with a heart unprepared?
Have I spoken God’s name with care, or tossed it casually into frustration? Have I honored the sacred—priests, holy objects, reputations—or have I let criticism and anger take root?
Have I kept the Lord’s Day holy, or let it blur into busyness? Have I honored my parents, fulfilled my duties, and brought peace into my home?
Have I harmed others—physically, emotionally, spiritually—or harbored resentment and judgment? Have I wasted time, withheld generosity, or numbed myself with excess?
Have I been faithful in thought and deed? Have I guarded my imagination, respected others’ dignity, and lived chastely? Have I dressed and spoken with modesty?
Have I taken what was not mine, or failed to make restitution? Have I lied, gossiped, or betrayed trust? Have I envied, coveted, or let possessions define me?
So yes, we pray directly to God. But in Confession, we also receive the healing touch of Christ through the Church He founded. It’s not either/or—it’s both/and. Mercy, made visible.
This is not a checklist—it is a mirror. And in its reflection, I see both my need and my hope. I see the places where I have caved in around myself, and the grace that calls me to stand upright again.
Because sin is not something I simply overcome. It is a condition—an inward curvature of the soul—that I cannot heal on my own. I need to be saved. I need the breath of Christ, the mercy of the Church, the absolution that restores what I cannot fix.
Take a moment today to pause. Ask yourself: Where am I caved in? What needs to be surrendered, and what longs to be awakened? Let this be the beginning of your turning—toward truth, toward healing, toward the fire of Christ at the center.
Smitten With Goodness 