Why Confession?
While we can go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) at any point of the year, we are particularly urged to attend during this Lenten season in which we remember the call to "Repent and believe in the Gospel!"
Is Confession in the Bible?
You bet! Matt. 16:19 records the words of Christ to Peter and the apostles: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Also, James 5:14-17: "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
Won't the priest remember what I say?
In the confessional, the priest is the representative of God and the Church community. He's no longer "Fr. Tim," he is standing in the person of Christ and under the Seal of Confession, nothing said in that conversation can ever be uttered again.
But why go to Confession at all?
We don't baptize ourselves, right? And if we ask others to pray for us, we're acknowledging the need for other "mediators" on our Christian journey. No man is an island! God's designed for us to aid one another, from the intercession of the saints in heaven to the sacramental graces offered through priests and deacons.
Only God can forgive sin. But Christ also entrusted the power of absolution to his apostles so that we can return fully to the Father. If we haven't been to confession in some time, Lent is a great season to receive the graces God wants to pour out upon us! Just tell your priest, "It's been a long time, Fr..." and he will take it from there!