+ Reconciliation + The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin." When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven. Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:21-23) Several important things are happening here all at once and within the same context: • "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." God the Father sent Christ to us for many reasons, one of which was to forgive our sins, so Christ sends the Apostles and their successors to, among other things, forgive our sins. • Jesus, God the Son, "breathes" on the Apostles. The only other moment in Holy Scripture where God breathes on humanity is in Genesis 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When God breathes on humans significant things happen. • And then and only then Jesus says, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Jesus says this a bit differently in Matthew 16:19: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Oral confessing of sins is recommended over and over in both the Old and New Testaments: • James 5:16 • Acts 19:18 • Matthew 3:5-6 • Mark 1:5 • 1 Timothy 6:12 • 1 John 1:9 • Numbers 5:6-7 • Nehemiah 9:2 • Sirach 4:26 The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me. Remember all sacraments are encounters with God. This sacrament is a healing encounter between God and the penitent. For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 1422 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.shtml + Penance + Forgiveness does not depend on penance. When you ask God for forgiveness, with or without a priest, your sins are forgiven. However, raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his (or her) own full spiritual health. One way to help restore your spiritual health is to do penance. Penance is a kind of spiritual exercise that makes you spiritually stronger. Penance can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help us be more like Christ, who alone makes amends our sins once for all. The Code of Canon Law, Canon 981 states: The confessor is to impose salutary and suitable penances in accord with the quality and number of sins, taking into account the condition of the penitent. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3G.HTM For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1450 and following: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.shtml#1450 With love in Christ.

The word "penance" and "repent" are the very least understood terms in the Bible. Jesus and John the Baptist were using those terms long before the Crucifixion, so it has nothing to do with that event. In all probablitly, it has to do with some kind of spiritual practice that was being taught to the people privately back then. Jesus said: they would have repented long ago, sitting is sackcloth and ashes. If you are interested in what that Original repentance was all about, this is a good resource: http://gospelenigma.com