Peace be to you.

Continuing the sacrament of penance, we review the essential acts of penance.

One, the confession or the telling of sins.

Two, contrition or sorrow.

Three, satisfaction for sins.

Thus far we have treated confession, or the actual telling of sins, though not completely.

It might be asked or objected at this point.

There is all kinds of telling of sins, there is a literary confession, and there's also a psychoanalytic confession.

What is the difference between any of these and sacramental confession?

Let us take literary confession such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Rousseau and also those who write modern confessions do not confess sins for the same reason

that we do in the sacrament. Rousseau had a great pride in revealing himself.

So also in modern confessions, there is almost implied such a sentiment as this.

See what a rogue am I?

Not only is there pride, but there is also an intent to arouse similar emotions, feelings, urges, concupiscences and passions in the minds of the reader.

Every disclosure of vice contributes to the increase of pleasure.

When St. Augustine wrote his confession, it was great shame, not pride.

And he did not tell any of his grave sins.

I would almost think reading the confessions of St. Augustine,

that the worst thing he ever did was to steal an apple.

He made that stand for all of his very grave sins.

Then he said that he wrote his confessions in order that everyone might know the mercy of God. If you would ever like to read the finest piece of

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