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Show i SACRAMENT OF PENANCE. In the very first review of '.he Sacrament Sac-rament of Penance it Avas pointed out1 that its second part Ava conf s?i( n. It is defined as a complete and s-iiu-ere unfolding cf our sins to a duly' authorized author-ized and properly commissioned priest. That it is of divine institution is evident evi-dent i'rr..!! the words Avhich our l.ord addressed to his apostles: "Whose sins you remit, they are remit td unto them: and whose sins you retain, they are retained." 'I hi so words clearly imply confession. For unl- ss we make known our sins to the priest he will not be able to absolve or retain them. The discretionary power which is therein given him cannot can-not be exercised. Hence the puipof of the divine institution would be defeated. de-feated. Moreover, the injunction is universal. uni-versal. That is. it is laid upon all without exception. Since, therefore, it is lucessary to make known our sins to the priest in order to obtain forgiveness for them, it follows at a logical concluaion that Ave must lirst know them ourselves. For unless we knoAV them, how is it possible possi-ble for us to make them known to the prie.-t or he to forgive then-? Hence' the lirst retiuisite is a careful examination exam-ination of our conscience. The time required -for this act Avill depend much upon that which has intervened since j our last confession. The longer the time that lias ela is'-d the more careful should be the examination. j As our confession must, be sincere and i complete, generalities will not do. We j lniift make knoAvn the number of our sins, their kinds, and all the circum-staces circum-staces connected .with their commission. commis-sion. Conseiniently it is well ahvays to begin this examination hy asking God to aid us in the work. We must strive j to discover wherein we have offended j God. Avronged our neighbor, or been , the cause of another's s;ns. When the j examination is completed we snould j make an act of contrition; have a sr- H row for our sins and a purpose to amend our lives. Thus fortified, we should confess our j .-wins to the priest, as though Ave were j telling them to God himself. We should confess them humbly, e'early and fully, neither adding to them, excusing ex-cusing them or implicating others. ; Conceal none knowingly. Having thus confessed and while receiving absolution absolu-tion Ave should renew our act of con-triticn. con-triticn. We should a'so be vey careful care-ful to perform the penance enjoined by . the priest. Tavo important lessons follow from these considerations. The first is the . necessity of frequent confession in order or-der that no sins may escape us in our examination of conscience. The second, that we. 'select a particular confessor Avho may tbe better ander-uand our I condition in spiritual matters, as the same physician , by constantly attending attend-ing our physical iiifirm:ties may the better ' c ope with , them. Church Prog- jress. ... " . - j |