“To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world.”(§1488)

What this excerpt of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says to us is sin carries consequences for the Church for the whole world and for the sinner himself.

These days, I encountered a man in Canção Nova who after 42 years decided to confess. What impressed me most was the brightness in his eyes. The eyes are the windows of the soul and in them I saw the joy of forgiveness of the encounter with mercy, I saw true liberation.

All days I saw people seeking healing and deliverance, for you may know that the best place to see them is in the confessional. And until we arrive there the fight between good and bad is so great that we may have spiritual eyes to run and see God. What is in play is very precious, it is eternal life that is conferred on us by the Blood of Christ.

I do not know if it is the same with you, but with me those “intrusive” thoughts begin in which my sin is not so great of which I did not do evil to anyone, of which I am small and fragil and that God has to know this…and joined to the shame of going to the priest of looking in the eyes of the priest and saying: I fell again. But when I arrive there and from the eyes of the priest I see the eyes of Christ, I realize that all those thoughts happened from the insidiousness of Satan in order that I may not seek confession.

The Church orients us to seek confession at least at Easter and Christmas. It is the minimum, but when we are in front of a treasure so great, we cannot be happy only with a small part.

God already knows our weakness and already is aware of our falls, therefore, he is always ready lift you up in the Sacrament of Confession, how many times as necessary. Every saint of God is a hero who falls but has the courage to get up every time on the path to victory.

God bless your fight!

Ana Lucia

translated from Portuguese