The saving mission of Jesus Christ is the reconciliation of humanity to God! Through His Incarnation, ministry, preaching, miracles, institution of the Eucharist and ultimately His death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus offers every human person the gift of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. This powerful grace of Christ’s reconciliation has passed over into the sacraments; thus, baptism is the sacrament that fundamentally relates a person to the life of the Blessed Trinity and the communion of the Church. The sacrament of Reconciliation restores us to that baptismal grace whenever we confess our sins to a priest and seek the forgiveness of Christ. Truly, this sacrament is our “personal encounter with Jesus Christ and His Mercy”. Jesus lovingly waits for us to visit Him in this sacrament of Mercy.
“the Father of mercies is the source of all forgiveness. He effects the reconciliation of sinners through the Passover of his Son and the gift of his Spirit, through the prayer and ministry of the Church” (CCC 1449)
“To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America and throughout the world depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes”
Pope Benedict XVI , Washington D.C. , April 17, 2008