How long has it been since you last received the sacrament of reconciliation? Maybe you go to confession regularly. But for some people, it may have been a long time since they experienced God’s forgiveness and mercy through confession.
All Catholics are invited to participate in the annual Evening of Confession 5-8 p.m. March 19. Priests will hear confessions in most churches throughout the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland that night.
“When our bodies are sick, we go to a doctor. When our souls are sick, we can’t go to a doctor; we go to the divine doctor, the divine healer,” said Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization.
As our bodies need to be healed, so do our souls, and one way to obtain this spiritual healing and forgiveness is through confession, he explained.
The Evening of Confession has become a Lenten tradition in the diocese, Father Ference said. The faithful can visit many churches that night to take advantage of the sacrament.
“We want people to come back and experience the grace of healing. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since your last confession,” he said, encouraging all to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation. “And if you know someone who’s been away from the Church or who is not active, invite them to come with you.”
According to Pope Francis, God’s forgiveness “is a sign of his overflowing love for each of us: that love that gives us the freedom to stray, like the prodigal son, but that every day awaits our return with open arms; it is the love of the shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep; it is the tenderness with which each sinner is welcomed when he knocks at his door.
“And when we come back to him, he welcomes us like children into his house, for he never ceases, not for one instant, to wait for us with love. And his heart rejoices over every child who returns. He is celebrating because he is joy. God has this joy, when one of us sinners goes to him and asks his forgiveness … It is love of God and neighbor that brings fulfillment to all the Commandments. And this is the love of God, his joy: forgiveness. He waits for us always,” the pope said.
Click here for a guide on how to make your confession. Additional resources can be viewed here.