"Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin...In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe firmly. Hope and have confidence in confession." St. Isidore

In Confession we encounter the mercy of God, the effects of Jesus' death on the cross, the grace of the Holy Spirit. Sin is an offense against the love of God. It flows from the wound of pride, that refuses to be  in submission to the will of God. Some people say that they prefer to confess to God directly, without the need of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But is this part of the sin of pride and unwillingness to do what God has told us? Jesus empowered the Church through his ordained ministers with the power to forgive in his name. When we go to the Sacrament, we are doing what Jesus said. In so doing, we are submitting to the will of God and not to our preference. It is humbling but freeing.