Now that Lent is over and we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord for our salvation, and on His immense mercy for us, it’s important to remember that the sacrament of confession should continue to be an essential part of our lives as Christians. It is not a sacrament just relegated to Lent. We need to remember that the Mercy of God is something we can draw strength from year-round.

One of the most memorable things that Pope Francis has said is that “God never ever tires of forgiving us!… problem is that we ourselves tire, we do not want to ask, we grow weary of asking for forgiveness. He never tires of forgiving, but at times we get tired of asking for forgiveness.” (Angelus Sunday March 17, 2013)

The sad thing is that many stay away from the fountain of mercy that can be found in the confessional, because they think that it is something only reserved for Lent, or only to be done under very serious circumstances. Sometimes we stay away from confession because we are embarrassed. It’s healthy to have a bit of shame; it does us good, because it makes us more humble. We should always be embarrassed of sinning, never be embarrassed of saying I’m sorry.

Regular confession has to remain an integral part of our lives as Christians year-round. Some spiritual fathers recommend it once a month. Even when we think that there is nothing to confess, if we dig deep we will often find that there is something that is obscuring the light of Christ in our lives. It’s important to always do a thorough examination of conscience before we approach the confessional.

To better grow in our spiritual lives we need to have great sincerity when it comes to our sins. It is very easy to forget that we are guilty of sins, but even easier to recognize that we are in fact guilty. Sometimes, because we do not recognize our guilt, we do not have true contrition and sorrow for our sins. It is important to remember that our sins hurt us, they damage our spiritual lives, they damage the lives of others and that we need to ask for forgiveness. The consolation is to know that Christ always loves us and is always ready to forgive us.

– Fr. Pablo