The Sacrament of Reconciliation

I often hear people say something like, "I don't go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I just pray to Jesus personally and He forgives my sins.  I don't believe that I have to tell a priest my sins"

I understand this.  This way of thinking about God's mercy and how He forgives sin makes a lot of sense.  However, I think there is an unstated presumption.  I wonder if by having this idea [that I can have my sins forgiven in private] doesn't presume that God wants the forgiveness of sin to be a private matter.

I think I might be able to clarify this by drawing an analogy.

Consider our view of liberty in the United States of America.  I'm a huge fan of my country.  I love the USA and I cherish the freedoms that I've been blessed with.  

Here in the USA we, correctly, understand that liberty means that each one of us has the right to our own opinions on politics, politicians, platforms of political parties, and just about anything that we'd like.  Liberty means that I can decide whatever I want and no one has the right to tell me what to think, who to vote for, or what issues to support or oppose.  Essentially this means that my personal politics are very private!

In our culture the more important some value or idea is the more we hold it as being private.  When we vote we vote privately, when we form our opinions we are free to do so in private, and when we have opinions we are always free to hold onto them without any outside influence.  Essentially our politics are very important to us as a society and as a result of that we hold them to be extremely private.  The more important a value or idea is, in our society, the more we hold it as private.

It is true that a lot of people share their opinions publicly but their views were formed and are held as private and outside anyone else's influence.

In my humble opinions this is the very foundation of true political liberty.  But I don't think this is the same value that Jesus had in mind when He initiated the ministry of forgiveness of sins.  The values that are the foundation for our understanding of liberty, in the 21st century United States of America, are not the same values that Jesus was acting out of when He sent his apostles out into the world to forgives sins. (Jn 20:19-23)

When Jesus initiated the ministry of the forgiveness of sins He sent out the Apostles with the command to forgive sins.  Jesus did not tell them to instruct people to pray to God privately for their sins to be forgiven.  Rather Jesus gave the apostles authority to forgive sins.  The successors to the apostles where then called bishops and the bishops ordained presbyters (normally called priests today) to help them in their ministry of the forgiveness of sins.

So today we have bishops and presbyters (AKA: priests) who are charged with the ministry of the forgiveness of sins.  No one is given the ability, authority, or ministry to forgive their own sins.  Even the pope has to confess his sins to another bishop or priest.

The whole notion of confessing to God in private and then having Him forgive is not in line with the ministry that Jesus started.  I know that it is not easy to humble yourself and muster your courage and confess to another person.  Ever since I have been ordained it has actually become more difficult for me to go to confession.  I understand.  I'm not a big fan of going to confession myself but I do it.

I am frequently saddened by the stories that people tell me of the times that they have been hurt and humiliated by a priest in confession.  I am so sorry that this happens.  I know that moments like this are painful.  I've been treated like that myself when I've gone to confession.  Regardless of  these moments of pain I still believe that the ministry of the forgiveness of sins is still the work of the bishops and the priests.  If we seek certainty and assurance that we have fully received the mercy of God then I don't know any way to come to that knowledge apart from the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  If we want to be sure that we have been forgiven the only way is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  

Think about it this way: if we pray to God in private and ask Him to forgive our sins then who's really doing the forgiving?  If we pray to God in private, on our terms, in a way that is comfortable for us are we really humbling ourselves before a God who is offering mercy?  Or are we dictating the time, manner, and way that we will allow God to forgive us?  If we ask for mercy in private aren't we really telling God when and how to forgive us?  If we tell God to forgive us in private aren't we really demanding that He forgive our sins on our terms?  

If this is the case then who's really the one who is forgiving sins?  If we are telling God to forgive us in private (on our terms) is God the one who is forgiving or are we absolving ourselves... because we will only accept absolution on our terms, when we want it, and how we want it?  Where's the humility in that?  Where's the ministry of the apostles in that?

In other words when we seek the forgiveness of our sins in private aren't really absolving ourselves and expecting that God will ratify our decision?  

Who's really doing the forgiving? Did Jesus ever give us the authority to forgive ourselves?

When we seek absolution in private aren't we really notifying God of our decision, that our sins are forgiven, and then expecting that He will go along with what we just decided?

Do we really expect that being forgiven of our sins and forming our own personal political opinions can happen the same way... in private?  Are those two things [absolution and opinions] alike in any way?!?

In fact, when we expect that we can find forgiveness of our sins in private we are just absolving ourselves.  I have no doubt that God's grace can even show up in moments like that.  But I don't think it is a good idea to dictated to God how, when, and under what circumstances He can forgive us.

The only way that I know of where we can find certain mercy is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Jesus sent out the apostles to forgives sins.  His intention was that this ministry would be a moment of humility and grace where a sinner was shown mercy through the ministry and work of the apostles.  Jesus did not intent that the powerful experience of absolution to be a matter of personal opinion.  Forgiveness of our sins is not something that happens in private.