In our most recent RCIA meeting, team member David shared about a recent episode of CBS News' "60 Minutes". He spoke about a rape victim who was certain the police arrested the right man who was sentenced to prison and served more than a decade. She was horribly mistaken and many years later, she meets with the man she hated for so long for a crime he did not commit. I'll let you watch the episode yourself embedded below in two parts. Please pardon the commercial at the beginning of the videos.
We must forgive others before God will forgive us. Sometimes the hardest 'other' to forgive is ourselves. When we partake of the Sacrament of Confession, God forgives our contrite heart fully. Do you freely accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself or do you tend to carry your past around with you in order to punish yourself? Is there someone who hurt you in the past and you just cannot let the anger and pain go? How would you feel if God was as unforgiving as you may be? Whatever your sins, do not despair. Remember that you are a child of God. A father helping a child learn to walk does not punish the toddler when he falls. To the contrary, he helps the child up and encourages him once again. God is such a father yet unlike human parents, He has an infinite amount of patience. Just a few things for you to ponder as you prepare for confession - no matter how long it has been since your last. Just go.
Examination of Conscience for Adults
National Catholic Register Confession Guide for Adults
The Forgiveness of Sins - Catholic Answers
How Often Must I Forgive?
Confession and Forgiveness in Scripture and by the Early Church Fathers
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