St. Teresa of Kolkata

 

Fr. also quoted St. Teresa of Kolkata's words on Confession. This is what St. Teresa said:

 

 

Confession makes the soul strong because a really good confession—the confession of a child in sin coming back to the Father—always begets humility, and humility is strength.

 

Confession is nothing but humility in action. We call it penance, but really it is a sacrament of love, a sacrament of forgiveness. It is a place where I allow Jesus to take away from me everything that divides, that destroys. When there is a gap between me and Christ, when my love is divided, anything can come to fill the gap. We should be very simple and childlike in confession. “Here I am as a child going to the Father.”

 

We go to confession a sinner full of sin. We come from confession a sinner without sin by the greatness of the mercy of God. No need for us to despair. No need for us to be discouraged—no need, if we have understood the tenderness of God’s love. You are precious to him. He loves you, and he loves you so tenderly that he has carved you on the palm of his hand. These are God’s words written in the Scripture. You know that. Remember that when your heart feels restless, when your heart feels hurt, when your heart feels like breaking—then remember, “I am precious to him. He loves me. He has called me by my name. I am his. He loves me. God loves me.” And to prove that love he died on the cross.

 

-Saint Teresa of Kolkata

 

St. Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta), pray for us