Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest…why can’t I just confess directly to God?
This is a common objection to the sacrament of confession. The answer is that Jesus, being the Divine Psychologist, knew this would not satisfy our human nature. He knew that we would need to be fully accountable – taking responsibility that we had done wrong, and making a full account of it.
He also knew that we would need a person to person encounter to share that, and to know we were forgiven. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, delivers words of forgiveness that we need to hear.
Confession was not an invention of the Church. It was a foundational gift of Jesus Christ, given in an appearance to His apostles after his death and resurrection in John chapter 20…
“Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Let’s pray – Father of grace and mercy – you gave us the gift of confession as the Divine Psychologist. Help us to recognize how healthy it is to be cleansed from the bonds of guilt and shame, and freed to become the very best version of ourselves – the person you uniquely created us to be. Amen.
This is Mike Kelly with Pray For 2, offering two minute prayer reflections on the daily readings of the Church. Listen to them anytime at Godislove.blog, or on the Redeemer Radio app.