A Plan of Life – Chapter 8: Frequent Confession

When Jesus asked, “Who can accuse me of sin?”, no one could reply. The same silence greeted his invitation: “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). Two things are thus evident: Christ became

like us “except in sin” (Hebrews 4:15), and the rest of us are sinners. Hence the need for the sacrament of penance, “the sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to forgive sins committed after baptism.”

Penance is the sacrament that promotes the soul’s good health: “in it are forgiven mortal sins and even the venial sins that we confess and for which we are truly sorry.” But the value of the sacrament goes further:

It turns eternal punishment into temporal punishment and the latter it forgives in a greater or lesser degree according to the dispositions of the penitent. In addition it restores the merits of good works done before the commission of mortal sin, it gives the soul the necessary helps to avoid sinning again, and it returns peace to the conscience.

This sacrament is absolutely necessary for the forgiveness of serious sins. Contrition alone is not enough. The act of perfect contrition forgives mortal sins only if it is accompanied by a desire to receive the sacrament of penance. Even after the soul improves, and we cease to commit grave sins, penance continues to be necessary:

In order to make progress each day with greater fervor on the path of virtue, we desire earnestly to call to mind the pious use of frequent confession, which has been introduced by the Church not without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. With it proper self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are rooted out, lukewarmness and spiritual laziness are confronted, the conscience is purified, the will is strengthened, a healthy spiritual direction is received, and the grace of God is increased in virtue of the sacrament. A PLAN OF LIFE 19 HELPING YOU FIND GOD WHEREVER YOU ARE

In preparing ourselves to receive this medicinal sacrament, we should bear in mind the usual five conditions: examination of conscience, sorrow for our sins, purpose of amendment, confession of our sins, and fulfillment of the penance imposed by the priest.

Here, then, is a norm of piety indispensable to the interior life: the frequent reception of the sacrament of penance. As St. Josemaria has written: “Consider what depths of mercy lie in the justice of God! For according to human justice, he who pleads guilty is punished, but in the divine court, he is pardoned. Blessed be the holy sacrament of penance!”


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