Day 134: The Forgiveness of Sins

Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too might walk in newness of life." CCC 977

In today's reading the Catechism speaks of one of the primary missions of the Church: the forgiveness of sin. The "first and chief sacrament of forgiveness" is through Baptism, with Penance/Reconciliation for those we may commit afterward. This is a good thing for us as we all have a wounded nature after the Fall and "concupiscence that never ceases leading us into evil" (CCC 978). The Church has this authority drawing on the words of Christ Himself, as the Catechism Compendium notes:

The Church has the mission and the power to forgive sins because Christ himself has conferred it upon her: “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). (#201)

It can be a great struggle "against the tendency toward sin" or even accept that no matter what we've done, Christ is there for us and only asks for us to repent and "sin no more" (Jn 8:11). The sacred ministers of the Church are there for us in persona Christi to carry out the mission of forgiveness. The Catechism Companion, Vol II notes that: 

The Church can forgive any sin, and all of us can "confidently hope for forgiveness" with true contrition. "Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin" (CCC 982). The Church's forgiveness of sins is essential for eternal life and freedom. (p. 32)

Ukrainian Byzantine Rite Greek-Catholic church of the Bernhardines in Lviv, Ukraine.