Analysis Of The Sacrament Of Reconciliation

Confession is one of the most challenging sacraments to engage in on a psychological level. It is often painful because it infers that one has done something wrong and it asks one to examine their lives and the mistakes they have made during it. However, integrated into to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is forgiveness. The peace and comfort given by confession outweigh the pain and guilt experienced be before it. The three main aspects of Reconciliation I will focus on is guilt, confessing, and forgiveness. I will show how man is naturally inclined to the aspect, how the aspect ties into the sacrament, and the benefits of partaking in the sacrament.

Guilt is a universal human phenomenon experienced by at nearly every age. Guilt begins to form with the growth of understanding what is right and wrong. Erik Erikson says this starts in children about three years old when they face the initiative vs. guilt crisis. Guilt is very easy to observe in children: when children do something they know they were told not to do, they instantly hide themselves in some manner or cry. I have a niece and a nephew in the beginnings of this stage and

It is one thing to let someone know that you messed up but complete healing comes from knowing that you are forgiven. Vice versa, instead of letting bitterness and anger towards others eat away at us, the best way to move on is to forgive. In some instances, our natural reaction is to exact revenge and that might provide temporary relief but it is a fact the forgiveness provides far greater healing and relief. The Sacrament of Reconciliation allows one to experience the fullness of forgiveness. This sacrament not only calls one to forgive others but to ask Christ for forgiveness, the most powerful forgiveness we can receive. It involves not only receiving the forgiveness but accepting it in our heart and allowing ourselves to be healed by the Holy