Come to the Sacrament of Confession

Be released from your captivity and become the saint you were created to be

“He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)

“And the priest shall pray for him and for his sin before the Lord, and he shall have mercy on him, and the sin shall be forgiven.” (Leviticus 19:22, cf. James 5:14−16)

“And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47)

“But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

“Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore, and do penance.” (Revelation 3:19)

Why Confession?

Sin goes against the way of God. Every time we sin, we hurt Jesus’ Sacred Heart and give evil more authority to hold us in bondage in that area of sin. When we go to the Sacrament of Confession (Penance or Reconciliation) and confess our sins with a contrite heart to Jesus’ ordained priests, we are forgiven and absolved (released) of our captivity to evil in that area of sin and receive more graces to combat the enemy.

As Jesus instructed his Apostles, his first bishops and priests, in John 20:23, “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained,” so he continues the same call today in his Catholic Church: “My son priests are my representatives, my instruments inside the confession box, but I, your Jesus Christ, I am the one who absolves my children. I am there, invisible, to absolve your sins. I am very loving towards my children. I am not there to judge them, but only to absolve them. What I desire while I am there in Confession with my children, I desire for you, my children, to confess everything with a contrite heart. Tell me all your sins from your mouth. Don’t hide them because of embarrassment or shyness. I know each one of your sins. Confess them all in front of my son priest, then I will absolve you of all your sins. Oh, my dear little ones, I am your Jesus Christ. I am your Saviour. Come and do the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You don’t know when it’s going to be your last breath on earth. Come, let go of all your old baggage. I can dissolve everything with my love, my absolution. I do a complete cleansing in your home, your house, surroundings. Don’t leave for tomorrow what you can clean today. Tomorrow belongs to me, your Jesus Christ. For you it might be too late. Use the time that has been given to you for free.” (Jesus Christ to Fernanda de Sequeira on 22/07/2017)

In John 14, Jesus teaches us that if we love him, we must obey all of his commandments. If we do this, he will abide in us, will answer all our prayers (in his time) and manifest himself to us. This is his promise to all, without exception. However, very few take up the offer and, as a result, find it difficult to love like Jesus and aren’t filled with all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits include charity (sacrificial love), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, modesty, continency and chastity (Galatians 5:22−23). To love like Jesus is to be patient, kind, without envy; not perverse, puffed up, ambitious or selfish; not provoked to anger; to think no evil nor rejoice in iniquity, but to rejoice in truth, bearing, believing, hoping for and enduring all things (1 Corinthians 13).

Confession removes the stains of sin, the bondage to evil, from your body, mind, soul and spirit − freeing you to be the saint that you were created to be, filled with God’s Spirit of love, so that you, too, can love like Jesus, in his image.

Can anyone go to Confession?

Jesus Christ died for everyone without exception: he has no favourites. He desires all of his children, irrespective of their religious background, to come to Confession without hesitation because this powerful healing Sacrament will draw them closer to his Sacred Heart and to full conversion into his Holy Catholic Church.

What should I do in Confession?

In the confessional, kneeling or sitting down in front of the priest, bless yourself by making the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then say: Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been …state period… since my last Confession and these are my sins.

State your sins with a contrite, humble heart. Don’t talk in parables to downplay your sins or blame others. Be specific about where you went wrong. You are absolved only of your confessed sins. Absolution releases you from the bondages to evil that came from the sin. The priest has taken a vow of secrecy, so will not share your sins with anyone. When you are finished, the priest will then give you your penance. This is usually a short prayer to pray after Confession and may also include an act of reparation. In closing, the priest will ask you to say an Act of Contrition. Say, for example: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended and hurt you. With the help of your grace, I firmly resolve to do penance, to sin no more and to avoid occasions of sin.

The priest will then say a prayer of absolution to absolve you of your sins. After exiting the confessional, don’t forget to do your penance.

Don’t be embarrassed to confess your sins because Jesus and his priest are not judging you, but forgiving you and absolving you.

Spiritual laws

The Sacrament of Confession terrifies demons because there they witness our contrition and lose their authority over us. To facilitate your healing:

Always forgive your enemies and do not hold onto resentment, bitterness or anger, otherwise your Father will not forgive you your sins (Matthew 6:15). Confess all past unforgiveness, even if you have already forgiven, otherwise the bondages to evil remain.

Confess all of your sins, even from childhood, otherwise the bondages to evil remain.

Be specific in confessing your sins and the details thereof, which include sinful actions, thoughts and desires. Otherwise, the evil will have a level of access on your body, mind and spirit in those areas of unconfessed sin to further tempt you. For example, if you confessed the sin of watching pornography and didn’t confess sinful scenes you watched, then evil will still be able to put this imagery in your mind to further lure you. The same applies for any dark thoughts, perceptions, desires or false justifications of evil. 

Take self-curses or curses towards others to Confession, otherwise the evil retains authority to implement these curses on you or others. Confessing the cursing phrase in the confessional revokes a further attack on the victim and the evil loses its authority to prompt you to repeat the phrase.

Make reparation for your sins wherever you can. Be a peacemaker. Pray for those affected and apologise for your errors. Remove any ungodly items from your home and do deliverance prayer in your home with holy water and salt that has been blessed by a priest.

A sin of the mind is still a sin, which includes curses, foul language, devious or lustful thoughts.

Ignorant or innocent participation in sin must be confessed to be released of any demonic bondages that came upon you as a result of being exposed to this sin.

Sins in dreams must be taken to Confession. If you find yourself sinning in a dream, unable to reject what you would when awake, it is because evil could access your mind, spirit and bodily senses as a result of unconfessed sin(s). Evil spirits are able to disguise themselves as people or creatures to try and lure, deceive or terrorise you. If in a dream you couldn’t see through the trickery, weren’t thinking clearly or responded in an ungodly way, take the deception and/or sinful portion of the dream to Confession, and any unconfessed sin(s) it was linked to. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Obtrusive temptations that enter your mind are a result of unconfessed sin(s) in that area. If you are in a state of grace, evil spirits will not have authority to place obtrusive imagery or thoughts in your mind – they would have to try and lure you externally, in which case you have your full senses about you to rebuke them.

If you lack any of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, ask the Holy Spirit to show you which unconfessed sins are behind these opposing manifestations.

Come into a state of grace by going to Confession regularly (at least monthly) and to Holy Mass (daily, if possible) to strengthen your soul. Pray the Rosary, love sacrificially, follow the Word of God and make an effort to sin no more.

The Ten Commandments

God’s commandments are clarified in the New Testament and through the teachings of the Catholic Church, which Jesus founded. The list below is not exhaustive, but serves as a good starting point in understanding the nature of sin.

1. I am the Lord your God: thou shalt have no strange gods before me, thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor adore them, nor serve them

Have you:

• Worshipped false gods or idols, meditated on strange words, done yoga (the postures give honour to false gods) or put money and other worldly things before God?
• Practised false religions or visited places of false worship?
• Sought healing from divinators, mediums, fortune-tellers, false prophets, sangomas, hypnotists, reiki practitioners and other new-age “spiritual” healers?
• Used muti, potions, salts, oils, incense, powders, animal blood, hairs, bones, dolls etc. from sorcerers or false healers?
• Entered any diabolic contracts for protection, wealth, fame or other causes?
• Housed imagery or statues of false gods, idols, dragons, devils, witches, wizards, Antichrist cult symbols etc.?
• Played demonic games such as Ouija boards, glassy glassy, Charlie Charlie etc.?
• Worn superstitious items, such as evil eyes, lucky charms and amulets?
• Entertained yourself with evil in books, movies, shows or music where performers were sinning?
• Consumed foods or drinks subject to rituals, offerings or prayers to strange gods?
• Glorified evil by participating in Halloween parties, watching horror shows etc.?

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

Have you:

• Used Jesus or God’s name in vain?
• Blasphemed Jesus’ Holy Sacraments and his Blessed Mother Mary?

3. Remember that thou keep holy the Lord’s Day

Have you:

• Missed or been late for Holy Mass on Sunday, behaved irreverently and not focussed on Jesus in Holy Mass?
• Received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ unworthily or irreverently?
• Dressed immodestly for Holy Mass?

4. Honour thy father and thy mother

Have you:

• Dishonoured, hurt or neglected your parents?

5. Thou shall not kill

Have you:

• Been complicit in killing someone? This includes being involved in, supporting or promoting abortion, euthanasia, violence or war. Also, saying nothing to someone considering an abortion or any other killing makes you complicit in this murder.
• Used or condoned birth control or artificial insemination? A child is born at conception: modern contraceptive pills and birth control implants are being falsely marketed as preventing pregnancy when, in fact, they are abortifacients. Artificial insemination also results in spontaneous abortions.
• Killed in the spirit by cursing, mocking or using witchcraft against someone? This includes harbouring vengeance, malice and spite.
• Killed your own spirit by cursing yourself, wallowing in self-pity or considering suicide?
• Defiled your body by getting drunk, high on drugs, smoking poisons (such as nicotine), been gluttonous, mutilated yourself, marked yourself with tattoos, taken medicine that emanated from a sinful research process (such as birth-control pills or covid-19 vaccines) or inserted a microchip (the triple-six mark of the beast) in your body?

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery

Have you:

• Not practised conjugal chastity in marriage, that is, instead of purity of sexual contact, engaged in contraception, sodomy (oral sex, anal sex, bestiality, masturbation, used artificial stimulants etc.) or adulterous fantasies?
• Engaged in immodest dressing, fantasy lust, flirtatiousness, fornication, sodomy, molestation and/or pornography?

7. Thou shalt not steal

Have you:

• Disinherited or defrauded someone?
• Paid unfair wages or evaded tax?
• Bought or sold stolen goods?
• Cut corners or been lazy at work?
• Exploited the poor and spiritually weak?

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour

Have you:

• Falsely accused, defamed, misrepresented or gossiped about someone?
• Been dishonest in any way?

9. Thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife (husband)

Have you:

• Desired or lusted after a married person?

10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thou neighbour’s

Have you:

• Been envious or jealous? Has this led to the sins of arrogance or vanity, seeking power and status, trying to put yourself above others, or having self-pity and not counting your blessings?

Don’t delay coming to Confession

As Jesus explains: “Confession brings healing in my children’s lives − it’s a beautiful medicine, to heal their brokenness, their hurts, pains, sorrows, illnesses from the body, soul and spirit...

“My children sin constantly through the mouth, the tongue, thoughts; through their acts of their daily lives. There is so much sin in my children’s daily lives. Oh, many times my children say that they have forgiven their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, families, loved ones, but from their hearts they haven’t forgiven – only from their mouths. When my children bring their sins to Confession, repentance and reconciliation with a contrite heart, oh, what a beautiful Book of Heaven: all is being cleared in that [black] book. Oh, my children must bring all their anger, unforgiveness, resentment and bitterness to a true reconciliation in Confession…

“My dear children, they must clear their consciences, their souls, while on this earth, because in eternity if that book is not blank, oh, what a sorry suffering they will have in eternity. Prayers, Rosaries and Holy Masses for them one day in eternity are their only hope, but most of them don’t have anyone to pray for them. They must clear all here on earth while there is time to do it. Time is very precious to be wasted. Be prepared at all times because death is like a thief that comes without advising you: it takes you by surprise.” (Jesus Christ to Fernanda de Sequeira on 25/07/2017)

Read an authentic Bible

The Council of Trent declared the Latin Vulgate as the authentic Word of God. Direct translations thereof, such as the Douay-Rheims Bible, affirm the true nature of sin and God’s call to do the Sacrament of Penance for the remission of sins.

For more information, visit www.alpha-omega.org.za