Confession is good for the soul

 

"If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." - 1 John 1:9

Answer:  YES! James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins."

 

The early Church knew they needed to confess their serious sins, and they didn't only confess to God in private.  As Christians, we are members of the Body of Christ - the Church.  When we sin, we hurt the entire Body, and so  must ask forgiveness from those we hurt.  For this, the priest is the one ordained by God to stand in representation of the Church.  It is understood that the priest is God's ordained instrument, because the Divine Mercy is from God alone.  I am glad only priests can hear Confessions, and that everything said in Confession is sealed, never to be repeated or even brought up ever again!  (Matthew 9:6-8, John 20:21-23)

 

Ignatius of Antioch, 110AD, "For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ" (Letter to the Philadelphians 3)

"For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop." (ibid., 8)

 

Not for every sin.  For sins that bring spiritual death, when you kick God out of your life, you need to be restored by the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The sins that kill the life of grace in your soul are called "mortal sins" because they are deadly to the soul.  The Bible is clear, "If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray" (1 John 5:16).

 

Yes!  The Bible and Tradition (the 2,000 year constant teaching of the Church) are very clear.  The Bible says, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying." - 2 Corinthians 11:26-31

1st century Christians believed this:  "Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord's Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

Clearly, before the early Christians "broke bread" (Eucharist) for a "pure sacrifice" (Mass) they did confess their sins.

 

A priest is ordained with the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  In John 20, Jesus breathed on the Apostles giving them the authority to forgive in His Name.  The only other place in the Bible where God breathes on anyone is when He breathes on Adam, making Adam a living being.  The breath of God in Scripture represents a supernatural change.  The Apostles passed this down (Acts 1:11) when they laid hands on men in ordination.  Part of ordination is being conformed more closely to Christ and sharing in His priesthood.  Remembering that Christ is our great High Priest, we know that He must be the one who acts in the Sacraments.  The Church calls this "in persona Christi" or "in the person of Christ" when a priest administers the Sacraments.  Acting in persona Christi means it is as if Christ Himself is there saying the words of absolution, "I forgive you."  In the Eucharist, "This is My Body."  In Baptism, "I baptize you." In Confirmation, "Be sealed with the Holy Spirit."  In Marriage, "I pronounce you man and wife."  It is not the priest who does these on his own power, he does this in the Name of Jesus.  It is Christ acting in the priest.  An ordained priest alone is unique in being consecrated in this particular way for this particular ministry.

 

A mortal sin is a sin where you basically kick God out of your life.  He will never force Himself into your life, so He will depart if you kick Him out.  We are created with free will, we are not puppets.  The radical possibilities of free will are amazing, and we can choose to do good or evil.  When we choose evil, and we know it is evil, and we do it with the free consent of our will, that is a mortal sin.  God's saving grace departs the soul, but He still desperately wants you to open the door to Him again.  He is so serious about it, that He died on a cross 2,000 years ago in your place so you wouldn't have to be separated from Him by sin.  He took your sins upon Himself, He took them to Hell and left them there, then He rose from the dead in glorious new life that He wants to share with you too.  Jesus wants to raise our souls from the dead.  Spiritual death is caused by sin.  In Confession, Jesus pours out an ocean of mercy and forgiveness.  In Reconciliation, Jesus heals your soul of the wounds inflicted by sin.  The Sacrament is called both Confession and Reconciliation because when we confess our sins, He reconciles us to Himself.

 

If a sin does not meet one of the three conditions above, it is called venial sin.  Venial sin does not separate us entirely from God, but it is still bad and as we grow in holiness we will understand more and more how even small sins block our growth in God's grace.  Venial sin also can pile up and slowly desensitize the heart to sin, and eventually lead to mortal sin as one stretches the limits.  Dancing nearer and nearer the edge of a cliff, you'll eventually fall off.  Same with sin.  Falling off the cliff is "mortal sin."  Dancing near the edge is "venial sin."  Both are wrong, though they vary in their degree of severity.

 

Yes!  In fact, because the Eucharist strengthens the soul, Jesus forgives venial sins when we receive the Eucharist.  Venial sins can be forgiven by private prayer too, the same way we can take aspirin at home for minor aches and pain.  But mortal sin is like a gaping wound, self medication with over the counter medicine won't help.  You need to go to the Doctor.  His hospital is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

So was Mary when the angel told her she was going to be the Mother of Jesus.  (This wasn't about sin, but she too was embarrassed, scared, and alone).  Read the first chapter of Luke and see how Mary was afraid and didn't want to tell Joseph.  But she did, she had to.  So do you.  At the end of your life you will meet Jesus face to face and review your entire life.  This is the Judgment that everyone will go through.  If you confess your sins now, you will go through your life's review with Jesus as your merciful Savior.  If you keep mortal sin to yourself and die unforgiven, you will encounter God's Justice at the time of Judgment. 

    

Don't be afraid to confess your sins. The priest has heard everything before, you are not going to tell him anything new.  He was in seminary for years learning how to hear Confessions and give wise advice.  You are only one of hundreds or thousands of people he has heard Confessions from since the beginning of his ministry in the priesthood.  You can go behind a screen and the priest won't even see you.  He is called to act like Christ and that means mercy.  If he is mean, your sins are still forgiven.  And never, ever will a priest mention your confession, to you or anyone.  It is sealed forever and your sin is blotted out by the blood of Jesus.