Thursday, May 22
Liturgical Color: White
St. Bobo a crusader and hermit, also
called Beuvon, was a knight of Provence,
France, who fought against the invading
Saracens and then became a hermit. He
died at Pavia, in Lombardy, Italy, while on
a pilgrimage to Rome.
Day 158 - Who can forgive sins?
Who can forgive sins?
God alone can forgive sins. Jesus could say "Your sins are forgiven" (Mk 2:5) only because he is the Son of God. And priests can forgive sins in Jesus' place only because Jesus has given them that authority.
Many people say, "I can go directly to God; why do I need a priest?" God, though, wants it otherwise. We rationalize our sins away and like to sweep things under the rug. That is why God wants us to tell our sins and to acknowledge them in a personal encounter. Therefore, the following words from the Gospel are true of priests: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (YOUCAT question 228)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (1441-1442) and other references here.