Homily - Wisdom from St. Cleopa on Confession

"Holy Scripture bears testimony to this fact, saying, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

If I confess all my sins, both physical and spiritual, thoroughly and with true repentance before the priest, if he does no more than simply put his hand on my head and says, 'May God forgive you,' then my sins have been lifted from me."

"If, however, I did not approach this sacrament with a spirit of repentance and did not prepare myself properly; if I chose to go to a priest who is somewhat lax in these matters; if I did not confess thor-oughly; if I hid my sins and did not follow the penance I received for them; if I did not later abandon these sins; then even if I were to be absolved a thousand times, the sin would still be in me like poison because I did not approach the sacrament of confession properly prepared."

 

St. Cleopa of Romania