Confession-Reconciliation-Pennance....whatever you call it...come home!

In a mere 2 weeks, my 7 year old will be receiving her first Reconciliation. I cannot tell you how excited I am for her to receive the tremendous gift of human healing and spiritual salvation. My daughter will be taking her first step of individual acceptance of her faith & personal responsibility of the maintenance of her soul.

Reconciliation is probably the most "avoided" Sacrament of all 7 in our beautiful faith because: 1) it is so regularly misunderstood & 2) it is REALLY hard to openly discuss our faults with others.
You know what they say in the 7 step programs...admission is the first step...well it rings the TRUEST for Catholics in the confessional. We must ADMIT our wrong doings openly to a priest and ONLY through an ordained priest (the priest being the vehicle & intercessor for us) who is solely able to offer God's Sacramental graces that we are absolved. I think many Catholics are stuck on the point of “If I am truly sorry, and I ask for forgiveness, He will hear me & forgive me.”  The best example I have ever heard in regard to this argument is, and I cannot recall where I heard it…it may even be Scott Hahn in the You Tube link I have supplied below BUT let’s say you broke someone’s window…when you approach the person whose window you broke and offer an apology…HOPEFULLY you are forgiven right then & there BUT…does that omit you from having to actually PAY for that window?  The Sacrament of Confession is the PAYMENT for that window.  It is also why we spend time in Purgatory after death.  It is the final down PAYMENT for that sin that will cleanse us to perfection so we can stand in the light of God. 
I offer you a great gift…listen to Scott Hahn here talk on the Sacrament of Confession.  Have I posted this before?  I love it so much, every few months I listen to it again because of how it re-energizes me and excites me about the glorious GIFT of our healing faith. 

I have been away for a bit due to my son having made a few recent trips to the hospital (nothing serious just part of the process) AND I have taken on a new, part time job that God has GIFTED me with. Once again…another bread crumb in my path to help sustain my family. 
Enjoy the link and go to Confession today…dump your baggage, clean your soul and start the week off right! You’ll be glad you did! 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ0D-BLWY70