Why go to Confession? Think of it as taking out the spiritual trash.  We all sin, no matter how hard we try not to. Maybe we get caught up in the moment and embellish a story, or take things that don't belong to us (like that stamp or envelope from work) and try to justify it by saying "they won't miss it" or "I'll give it back."  Or, we share something that a friend told us in confidence (gossip), and worse, they find out. 

According to Matthew Kelly in his book Rediscover Catholicism, confession also helps us identify our weaknesses so we can transform them into strengths.  He also points out that "the catchcry of modern Christians has become "I don't need to confess my sins to a priest.  I can confess them straight to God"  He goes on to say that "the biggest danger with the direct-to-God approach is that we often create God in our own fallen image, instead of us in God's image." 

Our sins build up in us like soap scum in the shower.  And just like soap scum, they don't go away until we do a thorough cleaning.  That's what confession is; a thorough cleansing of our soul.  And cleaning the house frees us to turn our weaknesses into strengths and live in God's image, not God in our image.

What to expect If it has been a long time since you've gone to confession, or you've never gone, consider reading this GUIDE TO CONFESSION before you go.  This will help you familiarize yourself with the basic process, and hopefully, ease any anxiety you may have about "not doing it right!" 

• Thursday evenings at 8:00 pm in the Life Center (after Jesus Our Hope Conference)
• February 26th, March 12th, March 26th, 7:45 pm (after Stations of The Cross)
• Sunday, March 14th, 12:00 pm

• February 19th, March 5th, March 19th, 7:45 pm (after Stations of The Cross)