Whenever the Christian community gathers together, it recognizes its imperfection and sinfulness, the fact that no human being is without sin. But more important than this awareness is the confidence that the entire community is loved by God.
The sacrament of Penance is a worship experience that helps the Church reflect upon its sinfulness. It is also a joyous celebration of God's forgiving love. Penance assures the community that each person shares the unconditional love of God. No one has sinned so much that he or she can't be forgiven. God does not put conditions or requirements on love. God simply loves. The primary purpose of celebrating the sacrament of Penance is to be sensitive to and to accept God's abundant care.
Certainly, members of the Christian community are challenged to respond to this love with caring lives of their own. God's love and forgiveness, however, are freely given. They do not depend on a person's goodness.
Jesus shows us what God does. The whole ministry of Jesus was to search out the sinners, the lost, the outcasts. Jesus ate with cheaters, with liars, and with prostitutes. It was Jesus' association with sinners that the religious leaders could not understand. They expected him to be socializing with "religious" people, with "good" people. Jesus, however, shattered all of their expectations. He loved those whom society had labeled unlovable.
Jesus reveals God's love and forgiveness
Jesus shows us the kind of love that God has for all humanity. Even when a person feels that he or she can never be forgiven, God forgives.
The sacrament of Penance, like all the other sacraments, is a celebration of the community. Sin affects others. One person's attitudes and actions touch the lives of others. The effect of sin is similar to that of a stone dropped into water. The ripples flow out in all directions, causing a disturbance on the peaceful surface. One person's sin, too, causes a disturbance in the human community. Take, for example, when you are angry with someone. That person will not be the only one affected by your anger. He or she will carry those angry feelings and pass them on to others. Thus, the ripple effect of sin will be felt in the community.
Recognizing the communal nature of our sinfulness
Because our sin affects the community, Penance must be a communal celebration. Of course, it would be very difficult for a person to know all the other people who have been affected by his or her sin. And even if one could know all the people involved, it would be impossible to ask forgiveness from all those people.
In the sacrament of Penance, the priest acts as a representative of the community and as a messenger of God's love. The priest helps the individual recognize the communal nature of his or her sinfulness. The priest, as leader of prayer for the community, is also able to offer to the individual the forgiveness of all.