You need to confess! - 24 Hours for the Lord to run March 4-5 worldwide

Confession is essential, especially as part of the Year of Mercy.

An important part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy will be the 24 Hours for the Lord during which the faithful are called to confession. This year, the 24 Hours will run from March 4-5.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Confession is a great gift from God. It not only helps us to rid ourselves of the burden of sin, but it also reinforces just how loved we are. It teaches us that we are the recipients of a tremendous gift of mercy, and it reminds us that we must also show mercy to our neighbors.

There are few feelings in the world that can compare with exiting the confession booth. With penance done and your soul cleansed, you truly feel there is nothing that separates you from your Father in heaven.

Pope Francis wants all the world's people to enjoy this feeling, so he has called an extraordinary jubilee for 2016, and unprecedented time of forgiveness known as The Year of Mercy.

In his Lenten message to the world, Pope Francis wrote, "By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative '24 Hours for the Lord', I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God's word, especially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called to experience at first hand."

Confessions will be heard in parishes around the world, although only select parishes will be participating. The 24 Hours for the Lord is a global 'confession drive' intended to spark interest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Have a look at our Sacrament of Reconciliation resources page by clicking here.