by N Zinser

Created on: May 19, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

Many people in today's Catholic world have fallen away from the Act of Reconciliation, or confession, and in doing so, avoid a main part of spiritual and conscience development. The general thought that is accepted today is being a "Cafeteria Catholic", or one who attends on Christmas and Easter is good enough. But is it? If you are a Catholic, can you truly feel the spiritual oneness that comes with the Act of Reconciliation, with attending Mass, and receiving the Eucharist? The answer to that is no. We let our daily lives get in the way of our spiritual development, to our own fault. The confession of sins is imperative to keep ourselves on a spiritual path that is in keeping with the Catholic Church.

While the definition in the Catechism of confession is "The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself up again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p405, #1455). This definition is a good way to realize the spiritual import of confession and Reconciliation. A true examining of things you have done, actually speaking them out loud, and asking God for forgiveness is a humbling act, and the freedom you feel upon leaving the confessional is liberating indeed. While it does not give you the go-ahead to do whatever you want, rather, the opportunity it gives you is actually one of re-evaluating your life's path, your own actions, and deciding how you will proceed in the future.

Confession, in addition to being a action of spiritual value, can also be an action that is beneficial to your mental health. If you are a practicing Catholic, and feel you have committed a sin enough to warrant confession, Reconciliation becomes something that is mentally therapeutic as well. This is not to say that this Sacrament should be used in place of professional therapy, or used to the point of scrupulosity, but simply to say that the mental health benefits are present in this act are numerous indeed.

As a Catholic, there are many reasons why you should confess your sins, the committing of a grave sin being the most well-known. But a good reason to confess your sins is to remain in good standing with yourself, your beliefs, and your Church. Perhaps if we, as Catholics, spent more time seriously examining our consciences, as well as participating in the Act of Reconciliation, we may go through life a little bit easier. Learning from mistakes and moving forward is essential to a quality life. Would it not be good for our mental and spiritual health, knowing that we can always confess our sins and receive Absolution?

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