The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is one of the most misunderstood sacraments in the Church. Many Catholics have stopped going to Confession, either out of embarrassment, a sense that their sins are not serious enough, or a misunderstanding of the sacrament's nature.
Yet the saints consistently proclaimed Confession as a source of extraordinary grace and healing. Saint John Vianney, the patron of parish priests, spent up to 16 hours a day hearing confessions — the penitents who came to him numbered in the hundreds of thousands annually.
To receive the sacrament worthily, one needs: an examination of conscience, contrition (sorrow for sin), the intention to avoid future sin, confession of all mortal sins to a priest, and acceptance of a penance. The formula of absolution — "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" — are among the most powerful words a human being can hear.
