The Sacraments of initiation of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist establish us as members of God’s family. They give us grace to turn our lives away from sin and live a life of love ordered to following God’s will.
Despite these sacramental graces being constantly at work within us throughout our lifetime, we still sin. While it can be frustrating, our sin is a reminder of our fallen nature and our need to be dependent on God, our heavenly Father. To help us combat our sin in our daily lives, the Church gave us the sacrament of reconciliation. In this sacrament, the Church (through the power that Jesus invested in it) has the power to forgive anyone sins who is truly repentant.
Why do we need this sacrament? Because in every relationship, we need to be able to reconcile with the other person when we have wronged them or have been wronged by them. We need to communicate the sorrow for our actions and commit to no longer wronging the other person if we would like the relationship to continue in a healthy manner.
While God never wrongs us (although, it may feel like He does sometimes), we often separate ourselves from him. Each time that we sin, or love our own wants and desires over God and His moral law, our thoughts, words, or actions separate us from God and others. This can happen in varying degrees. We may commit minor (venial) sins which damage our relationship with God and others. We also may commit major (mortal) sins which completely separate us from God and His grace. The more we sin, the more we are likely to continue to sin, and our consistent venial sins weaken our will to resist mortal sins. As a result, we often end up like St. Paul who does not do the good that he wants, but the evil that he does not want.
This is why God gives us the sacrament of reconciliation. He desires us to have the ability to repent of our sins and receive grace to struggle against our sin. Consequently, the more that we go to the sacrament of reconciliation with true contrition and humility, the less likely we are to commit certain sins, but we are more likely to understand our dependence on God’s grace to do so.
Our sins are always between God, man, and the rest of humanity. Because we are a community of creatures in relationship with our Creator, all of our actions affect the whole community, even those done in private. This is why Jesus first showed His power to forgive sins and then gave that power to Peter and the rest of the Apostles. In turn, the Apostles hand on the ability to forgive sins to the bishops and priests of the Church. By naming and repenting of our sins to a priest or bishop, we are rectifying our relationship with God (the Church as the Body of Christ), man (the priest or bishop), and ourselves. Consequently, the matter of the sacrament of reconciliation is communicating sins and contrition, and the minister communicating absolution in person. The form is the actual words of absolution spoken by the minister, and the minister is an ordained bishop or priest who has been given the faculties to dispense the sacrament.
Reconciliation was originally a public sacrament that mainly focused on mortal sins, especially those that caused scandal. But as time went on, the sacrament became a private affair and began to include venial sins. The Seal of Confession was placed on the sacrament that stated no one could reveal sins heard in the confessional unless it was the penitent themselves. Today, the sacrament is offered for all the Catholic faithful who desire to return to and grow in deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father and Church community.
So after the sacraments of initiation, reconciliation is given to us so that we can heal in the day to day failures of life. We heal as a community intent on being one in the family of God. We do this only through the healing power of Jesus who has passed down His power through the Church. God has the ability to forgive sins however He would like, but He has chosen to give His graces through the sacrament of reconciliation. Let us all run to His mercy and forgiveness whenever necessary.