Vatican City, Dec 5, 2016 / 10:22 am
As Christmas approaches, don't downplay your sins, Pope Francis said. Instead, name them honestly in the Sacrament of Confession, open your heart, and ask the Lord to heal you from within.
If we merely say: "yes, yes, I have some sins; I go, I confess…and then I go on as before," we don't allow ourselves to be recreated by the Lord, the Pope said Dec. 5.
It's as if we've applied "two coats of paint" on our heart, believing that is good enough.
"No!" he said. What we should do instead is name our sins carefully, saying: "I've done this, and this, and this, and I am ashamed at heart. And I open my heart," asking the Lord to "recreate me!"