Growing up, I thought that sin was just something bad without a reason. So, it made it easy for me to keep sinning because it is easy to keep doing something wrong when we don’t know the real consequences except that I am going to upset my mom.

I grew up, moved out of my parents’ house, and met Jesus. He is the same Jesus that I knew and heard about at home, but He is no longer only my parents’ Jesus, He is now my Jesus. Since then, sin has become my enemy not that I hurt Him when I sin because no human being can hurt God unless He gives that person the power to do so like His Holy Passion. But He is hurt every time when I intentionally sin because He knows that sinning is me hurting myself and when we love someone, we are hurt and sad to see that person hurting.

Every time when you and I willingly decide to sin it is as if we ask our Eternal Father something and He says no because it is not good for us or the time isn’t right yet, and out of impatience, lack of trust, and anger, we go to the next-door neighbor, the devil that we know wills no one good, and we ask him to give us what our Loving Father out of love for us didn’t give us.

But the good news is that our Father knows us more than we know ourselves. He knows our true identity, His little children. And little children are always going to fall short even in their desire to do good. So, He establishes the sacrament of confession which is the sacred place where you and I get to kneel before His Holy Heart Who beats out of love for us and tell Him that we are sorry for what we did and allow His Heart to talk to our hearts and restore them.

Fear to do good doesn’t come from God. So, every time you need to go to confession, and you feel tension in your heart, remember that His heart that He created for Himself to beat out of love for you and you alone, is waiting for you in the confessional; The Divine Bridegroom is waiting for His bride; Love is waiting for you.

This is a little prayer that I say before going to confession. While saying it, imagine yourself as a little child laying down on His Holy Heart:

Dear Holy Heart, forgive me because I have failed you.

Sacred Heart Who loves me; Sacred Heart Who always forgives me; Sacred Heart, Who says that I am worthy; Sacred Heart Who saved me; Sacred Heart Who has never failed me, You are my Heart my Jesus and I love You. I will allow You to restore my heart. As I am approaching You in the confessional, may You allow me to wear Your Coat which is made of humility, courage, wisdom, patience, mercy and love.

(We will reflect on it next week.)