April 9, 2025
Lent is a season of return—a time to come home to God with open hearts and honest souls. It’s a journey of repentance, yes, but even more so, a journey of mercy.
And at the heart of that mercy is a sacrament we sometimes overlook or avoid: Confession.
Too many see Confession as a burden, something uncomfortable or even frightening. But the Church, like a loving mother, reminds us: Confession is a gift. A sacred, healing encounter between the soul and the merciful heart of Christ.
It’s not about shame—it’s about freedom. It’s not about judgment—it’s about grace.
Pope Francis once said, “The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.” Lent invites us to lay down our pride and our fear, and to return again to the One who never grows weary of welcoming us.
In the confessional, we do not meet a harsh critic—we meet the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one. We hear the words our hearts were made for: “Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace.”
Saint Padre Pio, who spent countless hours reconciling souls to God in the confessional, said: “Confession is the soul’s bath. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again.”
This season of Lent is the perfect time to dust off our souls. To turn away from sin, and turn back to the Gospel. To admit our need and open ourselves to healing.
At the Cathedral of St. Joseph, our confessionals are not places of fear—they are places of hope. They are sacred spaces where mercy flows, where grace restores, where chains are broken.
Whether it’s been a week, a month, or many years—come. May these final days of Lent leading up to the great celebrations of Holy Week and Easter be a time where you truly return. The Sacrament of Confession is waiting. And through it, Jesus Himself is waiting—with open arms.
Return to mercy. Return to love. Return to God.
