After confession

If you forget to do your penance, do it as soon as you remember. If you forget what it exactly was, don’t worry too much. In that case, you can do another reasonable voluntary penance and mention it in your next confession, but the sacrament is still valid, and your sins are forgiven. It is different if someone deliberately neglects the penance out of laziness or indifference. While this is unlikely to happen, if it does, it shows a lack of appreciation for the sacrament, and you may question the usefulness and validity of the confession. Confessors generally ensure that penitents can fulfill their penance. If you feel that the penance assigned to you is too difficult or inappropriate—too mild or too severe—you can ask for a different one.

The sweetest fruit of confession is reconciliation with God, who forgives sins. Other fruits include reconciliation with the Church, the restoration of the state of grace (to the extent that it was lost), the remission of eternal punishment (if there were mortal sins), and the remission of part or all of temporal punishments. After confession, we also experience peace and rest in our conscience, spiritual comfort, and growth in spiritual strength.

In the Compendium of the Catechism (305) it says: “Every believer, when they reach the age of reason, is obliged to confess their mortal sins at least once a year, and in any case before receiving Holy Communion.” With this, the Church sets a minimum. It can certainly be more. If we want to progress in our Christian life, it is highly advisable to go to confession regularly, for example, on every feast day, every month, or even every two weeks, as Pope Francis does.

Examining your conscience briefly every day, just before going to bed, is the best preparation for confession. It doesn’t need to take long: 3 minutes is certainly enough. It is a prayerful reflection on the day, our thoughts, words, and actions, thanking God for the good, asking Him for forgiveness for the bad, and seeking His help to do better. Pay particular attention to contrition: sincerely ask for forgiveness! If you examine your conscience daily, your self-awareness will grow, and you will become more aware of what leads you to sin, the weaknesses you need to fight, and the virtues you need the most.