Unworthy to Confess My Sins

Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. I am not worthy to eat the Bread of Life or approach the Chalice of Salvation. I am not worthy to approach the confessional and have my sins forgiven time and time again by You, the most merciful Savior. Many feel held back from confession by their unworthiness, they feel their sins are too great to be forgiven. They feel they do not deserve it.

What shall I say then, when the devil reminds me that I am not worthy to even step foot in a Church, let alone to receive the Sacraments or be saved? I tell him that he is right, I admit it. I am guilty as charged, what of it? For Christ did not call the righteous to repentance but sinners, and I have been the worst of sinners. What of it? If I were to deny Christ’s Mercy, I would say he died for nothing, for none of us truly deserve to be saved.

Our Lord, it is recalled, once said to Saint Faustina, “The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” (Diary, 723). Jesus is the one who is asking us to confess our sins, it is the devil who suggests we somehow “honor” God by refusing His mercy and forgiveness. So when the Lord bids you to come, you go. If we think we do the laborer a favor when we reject the very work of his hands we certainly er.

Yes we are not worthy. God’s mercy and love is scandalous, unmerited, undeserved. I could sing praises to the Lord for all of eternity and it would never be enough to repay even a single drop of His precious blood shed on my behalf. He doesn’t ask us to. It is Christ who fills the infinite void between God and man. It is Christ who calls us to repentance. It is the devil who by any and all means possible endeavors that to refuse to do so.

If this is you, then take this as your sign to go to confession. God loves you, do not be afraid or ashamed. Run to Him. He is waiting for you with open arms.

And when you doubt, you fear, and say “that was not a valid confession” remember what Christ said to St. Faustina (I am paraphrasing) when she asked if a nuns past confessions were valid because the nun was afraid, “your lack of confidence in my mercy hurts me more than all of your past sins combined.”