Some great quotes from "Go in Peace"

Here are a few great quotes from >Go in Peace: Your Guide to the Purpose and Power of Confession by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. and Sean Brown.

When we go to confession, we are like Bob Dylan, 'Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door.' By dying for our sins, Jesus unlocked the door to forgiveness and to heaven. Without his saving death, we could plead and wail at the door forever, but we would remain shut out eternally in our own darkness, unable to open the door even a crack, However, the fact that Christ has opened the door does not mean that we have already walked through it to salvation. We must still do our part, going to the door by confessing our sins, asking Christ's pardon, and accepting the reconciliation He offers.

A person who despairs of forgiveness sins against the Holy Spirit because he is convinced that 'My sin is so bad, God could never forgive me.' The essence of such a sin is an overweening pride that claims to have the power to commit a sin so great that even God could not forgive it; it is a disbelief in the mercy of God.

Many people struggle with habitual sins, the most common being in the areas of sexuality, eating, gambling, compulsive shopping, and gossip, among others. While they may strive with all their might to overcome a particular habit, they may still fail on occasion. Every time they fail, such people should seek reconciliation by going to confession. They should not become discouraged (as discouragement is always from the devil) but should have faith that Christ's grace in the sacrament will, in time, help them change bad habits into good habits.