Confession: Its Fruitful Practice

Book excerpt: “Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb” (Apoc. 22:14). Catholics truly may be called “blessed” in the means they have of washing the sin-stained robes of their souls in the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God in the Sacrament of Penance! There is no question but that confession—especially frequent confession—is an inestimable blessing to mankind. Man can hope for no greater blessing on this earth than true peace of soul. The Sacrament of Penance is a perennial fountain of peace. It is a source of untold consolation to human hearts. This sacrament gives any and every member of the Catholic Church who has transgressed the holy laws of God, an easy and simple means to obtain full pardon, and to be restored to His friendship. This is its first and principal effect. Its second effect is to wipe out the punishment due to sin; eternal punishment entirely, and temporal punishment in whole or in part, according to the penitent’s dispositions. It closes the gates of hell, which open to swallow up in the infernal abyss souls who deliberately turn away from God by mortal sin and sunder the ties binding them to Him by preferring their own will to His. A good confession opens anew the portals of heaven, which is barred to souls as long as they remain in the state of grievous sin. It clothes souls with the beautiful nuptial garment of sanctifying grace, or renders that garment still more beautiful if the soul already possesses it. It restores past merits, which are lost by even a single mortal sin. It renders the soul capable again of performing meritorious acts, which is impossible while it is in the state of mortal sin. It confers sacramental graces; that is, powerful supernatural helps to avoid sin in the future, and to persevere in the service of God. It gives a claim to the special graces the soul needs in order to lead a God-pleasing life. Finally, it checks sinful passions and inclinations to evil. To partake in fullest measure of these blessings of the Sacrament of Penance, it is necessary for the penitent to know how to make a good confession. The present booklet is an attempt to help souls in this all-important matter by explaining the five requisites of a good confession and various points which are of vital importance for the fruitful reception of this Sacrament.