WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Space for Grace

By Father Yohanes Akoit

There are moments when we feel unworthy to come to church and even unwilling to go to confession. We feel this way because the more we try to make commitments, the more we seem to break them. Sometimes we succeed for a short while, but our efforts do not last. We may promise to set aside time each day for prayer, yet we manage to keep it only for a few days before falling again. The same happens with confession: we become discouraged because we confess the same sins and mistakes repeatedly. As a result, we begin to think that the sacrament of reconciliation has no real power in our lives. This pattern appears in many areas of life. Every commitment we make seems to be followed by moments of failure and unfaithfulness. Because of this, we may start to say, “Whether we confess or not, we will fall into sin anyway.” We see our repeated sins as a cycle, and we fear that we are treating the sacrament lightly or even sacrilegiously. So, we conclude that it is better not to go at all, believing that by staying away we avoid disrespecting the sacrament. We convince ourselves that this is the lesser evil, and therefore the right choice.

At first glance, this reasoning may seem logical. But when we look at it through the lens of the Church’s teaching, we discover the importance of renewing our lives daily. The Church teaches that our human weakness has two dimensions. The first is actual sin or our concrete sinful actions. In simple terms, every sin we commit leaves a stain on the soul, and because of this we need reconciliation to be cleansed. The second dimension is our tendency toward sin, known as concupiscence. Although actual sins are forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation, the inclination to sin or a disordered desire remains with us as long as we live in this world.

Based on this teaching, the Church explains that the sacrament of reconciliation gives us two benefits: it cleanses the soul from the stain of sin, and it reduces the space in our hearts where concupiscence can take root and produce further sin. When we open that space to God’s mercy, the sacrament can bear the fruits of the Spirit within us. Therefore, the more room we give to God’s grace, the less room remains for concupiscence to lead us into sin. For this reason, the Church invites us to choose to make space for God’s mercy rather than leaving our hearts empty. Because an empty heart becomes fertile ground for concupiscence to act freely. The Church gives us an example in the event of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–9). The disciples already knew who Jesus was, and they expressed their desire to remain with Him by wanting to build three tents. Yet after they came down from the mountain, Peter denied Jesus three times, and all the disciples abandoned Him (Matthew 26:56). Even though they failed, they eventually realized their need for Jesus and returned to Him. They went to Galilee and met the risen Lord, where they were reconciled with Him again (Matthew 28:16–17).

The disciples experienced the same cycle we face: making commitments to stay close to Jesus, remaining faithful for a time, and then failing. But they also understood that if they gave up and considered themselves unworthy to return, the distance between them and Jesus would never be bridged. The only way to overcome their weakness was to rise again and go back to Him. Learning from their example, the Church encourages us to follow the same path. We must recognize that the farther we move away from God’s grace, the more room we give concupiscence to act. Returning to confession is not a sign of failure. It is the very means by which God strengthens us, cleanses us, and draws us back into His life.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.