May the name of our Lord and Master be glorified forever! I attended the Residential retreat on December 2011. On 29th, we were taught about repentance and the priest took us through a class on how to make a sincere confession. As I went to bed that night I promised Jesus that after all those years, I would make a good confession.
I went through the examination of conscious, in the book All Glory to Jesus which really helped me. As I wrote down my sins I started wondering how I was to read it to someone and the idea really terrified me as I am a very shy person. The following morning, I got excited when I saw the ushers coming with buckets as I thought we were to put the sins inside without going for confession! Little did I know that it is after the confession that we were to bring before Jesus.
I immediately started feeling uneasy and I only kept on repeating “Jesus, please give me the grace to come to you through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.” I felt that Jesus was very sad because of my many sins! After praying Psalms 51 three times, suddenly I felt convinced that I would really meet my Jesus through confession and I decided to go. As I sat there in front of the Priest, I felt like it was not the priest but the Lord waiting for me and ready to embrace me back to Him like the prodigal son. Jesus gave me the best gift that day as it was my birthday, He forgave and forgot all my sins and took me back to Himself. I have never felt the inner peace I experienced that day. I love Jesus with all my being.
“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1jn.1:9)