Reflection of the Resurrection Story

Reflection of the Resurrection.... Nevermind the Shroud of Turino (what a gift!)

How remarkable is St. Paul really! 
  Here we have a Proud Jew! Dedicated to one god, and towards any idea of paganism, he would have struck it down with gross detest... and He did, killing and imprisoning many Christians

YET! He had a remarkable conversion on the road to Demascus....

A miracle as remarkable of Constantine, and maybe even more remarkable.

Apart from Paul's conversion, we have the story of Pentecost.... We have these two remarkable stories to fascinate us just as the resurrection does

Those who knew and saw Jesus risen, where still afraid of their fates....

Only when they saw the Holy Spirit did they take their experiences and transform them into something different.... Something magnificent in history...

Quite astonishing that seeing Jesus rise wasn't enough for these apostles, friends of Jesus....

Yet..... We have the Shroud, miracles of the Eucharist, Miracles at Fatima and Lourdes, small and resounding miracles happening all throughout history..... Yet still, the world has yet to be completely converted... Speaks to the lack of human devotion and commitment to things beyond this world...

We are engrained and rooted into our world so much, we shrug at the thought that these things have happened.....

Adam & Eve knew God, and yet did something against His will, they were too aware of themselves ... as we are.... It is the grand image of the human 'rebelious' nature...

Yet, When these men and women met on Pentecost, they then made a remarkable transformation even walking and seeing a risen Lord couldn't give them....

The Holy Spirit must have given them such grace..... that they were newly confirmed in what they experienced and their stories are written in the Glory of the Church....

St. Paul gives us a great real life story of a man who was against the resurrection, yet transformed


Pentecost shows us a great real life story of how the resurrection pitted the Christians against the world, and despite their fears, they were transformed...

Aren't we all transformed in our own small, unique, glorious personal ways?

What have we been set against? And what transforms us?

http://youtu.be/_jhHvuNpACc

Truest of Faiths

  I saw it said, '' I was protestant and learned a lot of the Christian faith in my years as a Protestant.  The people are loving, faithful people, but I found the FULL FAITH was in Catholicism.''

Ever so true, and let's explore why.

  I do not want to hammer on one's faith.  One can generally say that Protestants have a great tract for great faith in Jesus as a Risen Christ and of the trinitarian deity.
  They have such faith in Him, they feel that is all they need.

  As great as that faith is, is it faithful to God?

  What does 'faith' mean?  It is a declaration of a 'knowing.'  Of course, not in the case of knowing which would arise the scientific method, but a knowing of experience. Experience of personal experiences of the Living Christ in one's personal life, but also they experience that tells us that we can trust people in life. That it is possible to believe one's account.  We do it on the news every night.  There is a faith of the viewer of the newscaster that the things being said is true.  In some cases, we can go out and see if there is a meteor shower in the sky as the TV has explained and sometimes we are incapable of having this kind of  self-assurance of the news we hear.

  Let's say the newscaster says,' The President of the United States will change America because he is the savior of the nation and calls on you to follow him. '

  You may believe your friendly newscaster, and feel that the world is full of promise.  You can easily buy that there is a President of the United States.  You can even buy into that there is this entity called the United States that exist.
   So you are satisfied that you know that what you heard is right, so you are a believer! Because you are a believer, you recite the Pledge of Allegiance and celebrate national holidays.

   Are you a follower of the President?  No, because eventhough you believe the president exist, you have not PRACTICED your faith in him by simple recognition and celebration.
   Practicing what he preaches is a call to action. As in this case of the President, Jesus also called us to be followers of Christ, not just believers.

  More so, simple acceptance is not great faith alone.  When we marry, we have faith that we have a wife.  A wife is not just a title, it is a calling.  A wife should be with you good and bad, and function in the family.

  Love is not supposed to be held, it is supposed to be given.

  Great is the faith of a faithful Catholic.

  Not only is a Catholic a believer of Christ, they are a follower of Christ as well.  Catholic faith is more than recognition, it is BELIEVING that the Lord is so great that a instrument of His power can be an institution which reflects man's own need for governance and institutions.  Catholics BELIEVE that Jesus is living, and because He is living, He has the power and ability to take part in the Eucharist in the most real way. Just as He was Human & Divine in the most real way.

Catholic faith in God is so great that it believes in His own way He protects His Church despite the nature of man which assembles it.

 Catholic faith is so great that the traditions are not only seen as ritual but a part of a greater Truth and reflection of faith of the past from the Old Testament to the apostolic age.

 Catholic faith is so great, that when faithful men come together to decide what is true and what is not, that the Lord will comfort their doubtful souls and be the light He promised. He'd be to be able to understand man's call in cases of morality and man's knowledge of the revelation as so happened when the Catholic Church deciphered the Holy Bible.

Catholic faith is so great that we believe God can purify a human being to be the next arch of the covenant, and this arch of the covenant can still speak to us today if she so will to help her God's people along the way whether it be through the rosary or scapular or by miracles of the sun.

 Catholic faith is so great that nothing is impossible in this God.

 Man, even flawed man, can serve the call of the Lord, have faith in the Law, and have faith in the promise which is laid out in the Bible.

  In fact, Catholic faith is evidenced to be the True One Faith by the fact that all Protestant faiths are reliant on it's Bible.

  The Bible is Catholic! that is to say a Catholic creation. So the interpretation of the Bible MUST be Catholic!

  Catholicism is scriptural, just not ONLY scriptural.

  Here is a website that is focused on Catholic dogma in the Bible:
 http://www.bridegroompress.com/sc/

  So what is the greatest faith? To 'know' something exists? Or to not only know, but to follow, to answer the CALL to LIFE.

  Life is not simple as acknowledging. It is living, it is what Jesus called us to do and be..... Living and Faithful in His Truths.... that there is a covenant, and He will fill His promises when we fill ours.

 Christians are supposed to fill the promise a great more than just by FAITH ALONE.

 We are to be united in Him through the Eucharist as He requires, and we are to believe that He will guide His LIVING Church as He said Himself He came to do.

  As He showed us His power to be both Divine and Man as both Bread and Present.

  As He showed He holds the power to raise from the dead, and rise from the dead. To walk on water and to have Peter walk on water!

 Which shows us the equation, that Peter was walking on the water and he 'knew' he was walking on water, but he did not have faith in Jesus to follow Jesus to reflect what Jesus did as he fell into the water.

  Jesus is not calling us to 'know Him.'  He is calling us to live a life in glory and faith that He is Living and calling us to His table! The table here on Earth in the Eucharist.

 The Church HAS to be Jesus's mission.  He wants to raise the dead back to a new-life as He wants to raise Israel into a New Israel.

  The Jews 'knew' God, and yet Jesus came still.  The Jewish faith was not enough!  Jesus came to be present in His Church, not to be celebrated and believed ALONE.  The Jews accomplished that and Jesus is God, so that faith was not the ending.  Jesus wanted to encompass our lives to the FULLEST! In our personal nature, in our spiritual nature, and in our political nature.

  Governance is not man made, governance is a necessity of man.  Man is naturally social and relational.  So is the Church God Himself established.

 One that reflects every aspect of man, not only one's faith and knowledge, but life and institution. Catholicism intercedes into every aspect of the human experience. NOT FAITH ALONE.

 ALL encompassing... the mystical, the traditional, the promises, the institutional, the LIVING

 That is why Catholicism is the Truest Faith, because it does not hold back faith in the power and desires of God ........ That God is not living in only words and faith, but God lives in our lives and our lives reflect God's creation of man. FULLY in FULL FAITH.

  Faith and the word is just the start, the invitation to life, but the full life is one of action and faith united in the system towards that which is promised.

  The presidency exists and president speaks to us .....  the citizen is called upon more than just listen and acknowledge, but to live out the calling.  


Bishop Sheen:
                           

If I were not a Catholic and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing this would be that if Christ is in any one of the churches of the world today, he must still be hated as he was when he was on earth in the flesh. If you would find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.
Look for the Church that is hated by the world as Christ was hated by the world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times as our Lord was accused of being ignorant and never having learned. Look for the Church which men sneer at as socially inferior as they sneered at our Lord because he came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a devil as our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Look for the Church which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be destroyed in the name of God as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a service to God. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it is infallible as Pilate rejected Christ because he called himself the Truth. Look for the Church which is rejected by the world as our Lord was rejected by men.
Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions its members love as they love Christ and respect its voice as the very voice of its founder, and the suspicion will grow that if the Church is unpopular with the spirit of the world then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly it is other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly it is infinitely loved and infinitely hated as was Christ himself. But only that which is divine can be infinitely hated and infinitely loved. Therefore the Church is divine (Radio Replies, vol. 1, preface, p. ix, slightly edited for readability).

  

Christian Love, and Reaction to Sexual Deviants

  This is not a post one wishes to express, who wishes to tell the populous that their popular is not righteous.

  What claim to righteousness may I claim? I claim no personal righteousness.  A humble heart is not righteous alone, it is only righteous in the expression of what has been offered.  It is not in my righteousness I express the following, but through the righteousness of the Creature.

As a Christian, are we to cower? Are we to bow to those who torment our God's revelation?

Especially on the holiest of days as Easter.

So we look to St. Paul's letter to the Galacians 1:10

¹⁰ Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant^[a] of Christ.

  I am not looking to please you on your own premises.  I am inviting you to understand the Truth revealed.

  We are not to 'love' all as to love all that one does. We are to forgive those who trespass against us or others,  Forgiveness is the greatest Christian love.  

 We see in the Our Father

   Our Father Who art in Heaven
   Holy is thy Name
   Thy Kingdom come
   Thy will be done
   On Earth as it is in Heaven
   Give us this day our daily bread
   and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
   Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen

  Where in this prayer does it say, ''Love means to love all creation to the extent that we should not pass judgement on anyone's hopes and desires''

  It says 'THY WILL BE DONE''

  It says '' Forgive us as we forgive ''
  
  It says ''Deliver us from evil''

  This is the greatest prayer, and in it we see a great revelation.

  Our love comes from seeing others not different than ourselves, thus being that we are to give ourselves to God's will and not to sin, and we are to help our neighbors do the same.

  A true Christian is one who offers all to God.

 Homosexuality is a sin! Whoredom, that is sexuality outside of the union of man and woman, is a sin.  This being, a homosexual is conducting themselves not for the will of God, but their own.  As is all sin!

 How are Christians to view their neighbors, friends, family, and other loved ones who practice immoral sexuality?

 We look to Jesus to show us: as a Christian we are to follow Jesus as the example.


  

Luke 7:36-50 (New International Version)

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

³⁶ When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷ A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
³⁹ When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
⁴⁰ Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
⁴⁹ The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
⁵⁰ Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

  Forgive, and seek renewal!

  What more is there to offer on this Easter day than renewal.  

  We are to love our homosexual and other sexual defiant neighbors and loved ones with a care for their souls.  We are to welcome them into the promise of the kingdom and we shall say to them, seek God's will.

  This is the crux of humanity: Truly believing in God's will so much that we put aside our own wills and desires, and believing that what is revealed is TRUE.  Not readjusted to make us nice, but loved so much that we love others and invite them to the table as He has already welcomed us to do.

  Good is not always ''nice.''  A father's love is not always ''nice.'' But a father's love is never fading, and always looking out for the weak and the troubled. Indeed, a father (a parent) is said to love more those who need the most love. With great concern the weak and troubled are not made weaker but encouraged with the message that everyday is a new day, and we should try our darnest to do that is TRULY right and just! 

The promise is this: We should not adjust the message to our own wills:

 

John 3:1-5 ESV / 14 helpful votes

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Protestants' Misinterpretation of the New Covenant

Quick Post... but very revealing!

Protestants who believe the Bible is the only reliable source of  the True Faith are SEVERELY misled!

Catholic parishes which do no offer the Blood every Sunday, are SEVERELY mishandling the Faith!

  St. Paul, one of the main evangelists in the Bible, who Luther relies on in his formation of sola fide theology writes about the new 'testament.'  Testament is one of the translations of the Greek word ''diatheke.'' The other is covenant :  http://www.keyway.ca/htm2004/20040715.htm

  So when St. Paul would refer to the covenant / testament, he meant the CHALICE. As the chalice was very crucial to the ritual in the celebration of the Passover where the Jews slaughtered and ATE a lamb.

  These covenants are reflections of one another, it is why Latin, Spanish, French, and Italian languages have very slight differences in the words Passover and Easter.

  This video explains what we read when we read the Bible: It is liturgy for the MEAL, a common practice in the old world to have readings at mealtime.

  http://youtu.be/HxLmJdsfE1k

Most Forgiven, Loves the Most

 I am examining how Jesus treated sinners ......  

"If this man were a prophet, He would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."
"And he answered, "What is it, Teacher?"
"A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?"
"Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more."
"And He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
"Then turning toward the woman He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:36-47 RSV)


  I understand the logic of this.  As one who has more deficiencies is more joyful when those deficiencies are lifted.

  Made me think of the Great Saints --  Mother Teresa -- John Paul II...... Do they love less because are forgiven less?  Well, as I understand it, they went to confession weekly. 

  First, let me say, that I am not trying to boast, as I first was feeling awkward about this line.  ''Surely those who love God, have such great love for Him that they abide by His will.''  ......

  But, I then reconsidered, no matter how spiritual we are, we are always through our nature, sinners.  Sinners, Sinners, Sinners as we are in no way perfect.  Not the greatest Pope, not the greatest Saint.  We can not hide from our sins and weaknesses, they are a part of us like skin and nails.

  So then, what are we who feel as though we are not great sinners to do?

  Jesus answers us, ''Be forgiven!''   

  Never think you are sinless, Never think you are perfect.
 
  Pursue the Love of Christ in Confession, as often as you feel in your heart is right.  Maybe it could be good to try to always receive the Eucharist with a pure heart after Confession.

  Love the Sacrament of Confession, it is our way to be forgiven, forgiven, forgiven! So that we may Love! Love! Love!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day (Especially my crew from Cork)

Video Catalog - Faith and Reason Leads to BELIEF!

THE MISTAKE IS OFTEN MAde.... THAT FAITH AND REASON ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER....

THE MISTAKE IS THAT THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, BUT SHOULD BE WEDDED AND BEAUTIFIED WITH EACH OTHER.. COMPLETED

AS A MAN AND A WOMAN.

I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE MARRIAGE OF FAITH & REASON BY THIS VIDEO:

http://youtu.be/1RQ1yYvoqPQ

MANY OF THESE VIDEOS ARE LONG... BUT I CHALLENGE YOU TO WATCH ALL OR MOST BEFORE EASTER

WHY GOD?  EVIDENCE? PROBABILITY?  FAITH IS UNREASONABLE?

1) MANY OF YOU WILL SEE, NOT EVEN THE SMARTEST SCIENTIST (STEPHEN HAWKINGS PARTNER) CAN DEBATE AGAINST GOD....

http://vimeo.com/15383112

2) SCIENCE AND THE RATIONALITY OF GOD:  TWO one long and more detailed

http://youtu.be/QI1QBj3aFfg

SHORTER: http://youtu.be/ETBssDRsM74

3) PHILOSOPHICAL RATIONALITY OF GOD:

http://youtu.be/gyrzhVvg3ws

SO THAT IS GOD? OKAY, SO WHAT ABOUT RELIGION? WELL SURELY THERE ARE SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL RELIGIONS.... THOMAS MERTON IS A GOOD SOURCE.. BUT HERE

THE JESUS QUESTION

4) WERE THE GOSPEL WRITERS EYE WITNESSES? OXFORD PROFESSOR SAYS YES

http://youtu.be/r5Ylt1pBMm8

5) DID JESUS RESURRECT? PROMINENT BIBLICAL SCHOLAR USES REASON AND PROBABILITY:

http://youtu.be/W0Dc01HVlaM

6) DOES THE BIBLE SAY JESUS CLAIMED TO BE GOD?

http://youtu.be/Wa-dzR943po

7) I NEVER REALLY SOUGHT THIS OUT, BUT FOUND A JEW WHO CONVERTED, WELL, SEE WHY

http://youtu.be/gsKz6QEFFmg

8) INSPIRING MESSAGE- JESUS' SHOCKING LIFE

 http://youtu.be/2qNlTiRB7JA

SO WHAT DID JESUS COME FOR? ANSWER: TO BE THE NEW MOSES, BUILD HIS REALM ON EARTH (CHURCH)

9) THE CHURCH OF PETER

http://youtu.be/VXCUSAEVNIE

10) UNDERSTANDING THE SACRIFICE - THE EUCHARIST - THE LAMB OF GOD

http://youtu.be/OfGw8G9P4_Y

11) MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST, TODAY!!!!

http://youtu.be/N6SH93arrIE

12)  SERIES SHOWING WHAT IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:

    12A - BUILDER OF CIVILIZATION

http://youtu.be/OhARNW4l13g

    12B - CATHOLICISM SERIES

http://youtu.be/yXz7CiIovJ8

ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS... CONFESSION, CRUSADES, INQUISITION, WHAT IS GRACE, MORALITY OF THE BODY......

PLEASE VISIT CATHOLIC ANSWERS AT WWW.CATHOLIC.COM OR ON YOUTUBE FATHER BARRON

LOADS, LOADS, LOADS OF ANSWERS AND DISCUSSIONS ARE RIGHT HERE ON THE INTERNET

I PERSONALLY LIKE THE CONVERSION STORIES OF STEVE RAY AND DR. SCOTT HAHN

Need for Confession

 "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18)

Why Confession?

Short Answer: Jesus told the Apostles that they can absolve sin on Earth.  ( It is a bit funny, Protestants say ''Sola Scriptura,' but you can find the Sacraments in the bible)

Conversation:  If you are honest, you can surely admit that we keep many 'sins' or transgressions to ourselves.  And we even hide many from OUR OWN SELVES! We humans are very much wired to protect our selves.  Protect that which we love.  Protect that which angers us.  Protect us from that which scares us.  What scares us more than telling a priest ( a man in cloth) what we have done to others, the ones we love, and ourselves.  It is a very vulnerable moment. 
  The practice of Reconciliation is a bit to do with courage.  Imagine that you have passed away.  You face Jesus, and He will tell you your sins.  Would you be ready for that?  Isn't that much more scary than telling a priest?  We are very aware we deceive ourselves, and there is no time left for deception or question.  We are told to go to confession so we can be confident. It is a gift to which we can not give ourselves.  With this confidence, can we have a bit more peace in our hearts when we meet our judge.  This should not be taken lightly.  The sacraments bring us closer to God through the Holy Spirit and prepare us for the moment we are to be judged.  If you do not feel you are ready to meet Jesus, you are (probably,surely) not.  Then open your heart to the reality of confession in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the sacred sacrament of Confession. The protest against Reconciliation, in its roots, is the very protest of man against God.  We put everything in earthly terms. We tell ourselves, ''Why do I have to tell a priest what I have done?''  What we should say, ''If I can not tell a priest what I have done, will I be honest enough to face my judgement?''
  I would like to suggest some ways we deceive ourselves in maybe two ways of many: 1) We want forgiveness more than we are sorry for our sins.  We seek forgiveness and peace and not really have sorrow.  2) We obstruct truth, we purposely forget, we tell ourselves that things are Ok despite the feelings or perception of others.  We project little problems to our actions because we justify things to ourself. ''No, I shouldn't be sorry, because I was only angry because they made me angry.  OR  Well, I really didn''t truly mean what I said, so they may be mad, but I know what I truly feel. OR I didn't lie. I just didn't think they needed to know my business.''
  Aside from us deceiving ourselves, I think it is worth the discussion to mention how we are social creatures, and how our faith is to lived outwardly towards others.  Jesus said,'' Love your neighbors as yourself.''  In Reconciliation we can meet this requirement by being honest with our neighbors and sharing our transgressions bravely and confidently with a neighbor in body, but a neighbor in spirit through a priest.  The more we give the more we receive, the more we give up our pride and insecurity and confess our transgressions, the more we receive a communion with the Holy Spirit and with others!  When we live out our faith, our faith is also growing outwardly, and thus our faith is inviting our neighbors into our faith.  What love for neighbor can be better than inviting the community into your faith.  Don't be fooled, we are social creatures, we are to live socially, and we are to pray socially, and we are to live out our faith socially. 
   The more we put into society, the more we get out.  The more we put into faith, the more we get out.  Reconciliation is a call for outward faith.  A faith that says, do not hide your religion within, live it out, even when you sin.  Forgiveness is one of the greatest aspects of love.  When we confess, we should not be afraid, we should honor the love of God.  It is the way we are to live.  Honor God, trust in His words, when His priest absolve our sin, we should leave confident that our souls are healed that we no longer face our past, but move onward with a but more strength in spirit.


ANOTHER'S COMMENTARY   

http://voices.yahoo.com/defending-catholic-faith-confession-218027.html

Why should I believe that a priest has the power to forgive my sins? Why can't I just tell my sins to Jesus in private without confessing them to a priest? What is the purpose of Reconciliation anyway? There are many difficult questions when discussing Confession, also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But Jesus does give us the answer within the Bible and we can look to his powerful words to give us clues as to why the Sacrament of Reconciliation exists.
First, however, we should think about why we need the Sacrament of Reconciliation and penance. Reconciliation, or confession, of our sins is necessary to know absolutely, 100% for sure that our sins that we commit here on Earth are forgiven. Sure, we could confess our sins in the privacy of our own homes in our hearts to God, but there are a couple complications to that process. First, how often would we truly use this practice? One could go years without actually confessing sins to God in their own heart. Confessing one's sins with a priest helps us to make the sacrament real. Second, when and if we do confess our sins in our heart instead of within the confines of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, is one really sure that he or she is cleansed of that sin? When one enters the confessional, however, and goes through the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the priest, he or she is absolutely certain that their sins are forgiven.
The Gospel of John has Jesus' words that institute the sacrament of Confession. Jesus commissions his disciples in Chapter 20, verses 22 and 23, to go out and forgive sins in this power of His name. Jesus says, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." This verse is pretty much self-explanatory because it gives Jesus' apostles the power to forgive sins. It is the basis for the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus passed the authority on to his Apostles, and this power has been conferred on to priests, bishops, and popes all throughout the ages.
In Jesus' words we find that He gave his Apostles the authority to forgive sins, and through that, established the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament, which gives us assurance that our sins are erased completely, has blessed the Catholic Church for many ages, and will continue to be a source of powerful healing for ages to come!