Sin and Reconciliation

Increasingly fewer Catholics are taking part in the sacrament of Reconciliation (“Penance” or “Confession”), perhaps because it remains an often-misunderstood encounter with God.  Even frequent penitents can be consumed by the notion that sin is the accumulation of particular (enumerable) infractions that can be readily identified and articulated, with the “sin counter” set back to zero after each Confession.  A healthier approach to the sacrament, and to the human condition that makes it necessary, might view sin as less discrete actions that defy God’s will than a state of being “stuck” in a place where we have difficulty embracing God’s grace.  How can we rethink the role of sin in our lives in a way that allows us to more fully appreciate God’s grace and mercy?