During the Holy Season of Lent, Archbishop Aymond is asking all churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to have a light on in the confessional on Wednesday, March 15th; Wednesday, March 22nd; and Wednesday, March 29th from 5:00pm - 6:30pm as a sign that Christ is not only the light of the world but one who is eager to forgive and to heal us. If you have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we invite you to come back to God’s loving mercy and forgiveness.
Perhaps you’ve been away from Confession for a while—maybe a long while. Or, you may be a Catholic who goes to Confession frequently, but you find that you seem to be confessing those same old sins over and over again. This site is designed for you, no matter how often you go to Confession or where you are on your faith journey.
God wants us all to grow in holiness so we can be saints. But how do we actually do that? Good Confession is here to help you figure that out.
Pope Benedict XVI once said, “Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness.”
Today is a new day. God’s mercy is abundant and He wants to forgive you for whatever sins you have committed…all you have to do is ask for His forgiveness with a contrite heart, and that’s exactly what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is for. There is so much hope for us who sin, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2, read more).
Knowing more about yourself will help you work through your struggles and sins and grow in holiness and virtue, so you can find the peace, healing, happiness, and exciting relationship with Christ that God has planned for you.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament of Confession, so that we as sinners can obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and the Church. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ. “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:21-23).
Take time to explore the resources that are provided on the website https://goodconfession.com , and, more importantly, how to “go and sin no more.” May God bless you on your faith journey!
The basic requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God with your whole heart, like the prodigal son (in Luke 15), and to acknowledge your sins with true sorrow before the priest.
Modern society has lost a sense of sin. As Catholic followers of Christ, we must make an effort to recognize sin in our daily actions, words and omissions. An examination of conscience helps us do just that.
What is an examination of conscience?
An examination of conscience is a review of one’s past thoughts, words and actions for the purpose of ascertaining their conformity with or unconformity with the moral law (NewAdvent.org). In other words, an examination of conscience helps you identify the moments in your life when you’ve pleased God with your virtue or when, conversely, you have fallen into sin. If you examine your conscience in order to uncover and reflect on your sins, you can then bring those uncovered sins before God in the Sacrament of Confession and ask for His forgiveness. Here are several examinations of conscience for you to choose from. Find one you like, print it out, and use it as you prepare for your Confession. You can even bring it with you into the Confessional!
Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments
Examination of Conscience in Light of Catholic Social Teaching I En Español
Examination of Conscience for Children
Examination of Conscience for Young Adults
Examination of Conscience for Single People
Examination of Conscience for Married Persons