2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) - Go. To. Confession.

[Readings] [More information on the plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday]

When you're in seminary studying for the priesthood, there are many things to look forward to: you think of the parish where you will be assigned, the homilies you will preach, the people whose lives you will be a part of, and probably most of all, celebrating the Mass.

The Eucharist is definitely the center of the priesthood for me, and now that I am ordained, it is certainly the most important thing that I do.

It's really incredible: when I say the words of consecration, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. God uses a mere human like me to do that. Wow.

Celebrating the Eucharist should never get old.

But what has surprised me after being a priest for almost two years now, is how amazing, how powerful, and how humbling it is to hear confessions.

It make sense, though, because, from the beginning, priests have been sort of dispensers of God's mercy. From the Old Testament until now, a priest is someone who can share with you the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God. We can see this in all of our readings today.

In the story from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear how people are seeking the Apostles, particularly Peter, for healing. They are bringing the sick and those attacked by demons so that they could be freed from their afflictions - even just hoping that Peter would walk by and his shadow would fall on them.

The Apostles are identified with God having mercy and healing his people.

This isn't something they came up with themselves. This power - and this authority - comes from Jesus.

Imagine the scene from the Gospel: The disciples are in hiding on the evening of Easter Sunday. They've heard about the empty tomb and Mary Magdelene has announced to them that she has encountered Jesus.

Then, suddenly, he's there with them.

The last time they were all gathered together was a couple days earlier at the Last Supper, where Jesus washed their feet and commanded them to be servants - as well as instituting the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Now he breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Jesus is giving them his own priestly authority to forgive sins. They are participating in his priesthood which is forever, because Jesus is God.

In the second reading from the Book of Revelation, Jesus appears in John's vision as a priest. He's standing amid seven lampstands, just like there were in the Temple in Jerusalem. And he's dressed in an ankle-length robe with a gold sash - just like the priests of the Temple.

Unlike the priests of the old covenant, however, Jesus' sacrifice was himself. He offered himself to the Father, so now in Heaven, He pours the Father's mercy down on us.

Where do we encounter this mercy? Where do we receive it? In the Church Jesus founded through Peter and the Apostles.

He gave them that power to forgive so that we, God's people, could confidently go and receive his mercy - particularly in the sacrament of Reconciliation.

That's my message to you here today: Go. To. Confession.

It's an essential part of being a Catholic; so much so that the Church requires us to confess our sins once a year. That's the bare minimum. We should be anxious to go and receive that forgiveness, to receive that mercy.

I'll say it again: Go to confession. It is there because we need it.

We all fall short of the love of God. We hurt each other. We hurt ourselves.

But that doesn't stop God from calling us home.

This second Sunday of Easter is called Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast comes from the visions of a polish nun, St. Faustina, who saw Jesus. He revealed to her his great desire to show the world his mercy. St. Faustina writes that Jesus said, "I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart."

That's what we experience in confession: Jesus healing us.

The sacrament of reconciliation is a gift. Make the most of that gift. If you have any questions or fears about going to confession, talk to a priest.

The ministry that was entrusted to the apostles has been passed on down until now - and priests like myself have the privilege of sharing the mercy and forgiveness that God so desires to give to the world.