Book Review: Catholic Update Guide To Confession

Confession is that sacrament that many Catholics either pretend does not exist, or they try to celebrate it as infrequently as possible.  All too often I find myself talking to people who exclaim "Oh, I haven't gone to confession in years!" whenever it's mentioned in conversation.  I can't help but wonder sometimes if that's due to a lack of understanding of the sacrament.

In the Catholic Update guide to Confession title, readers curious about the sacrament of reconciliation will find plenty of information regarding why we celebrate this sacrament, how to prepare for it, how to celebrate the sacrament,  as well as insight from priests who have been on both sides of the confessional screen.  The book is less than fifty pages and could easily be read on a lazy afternoon.  It would make a useful guide book for those currently in RCIA, or those who have been away from the sacrament for a while.

Overall, I thought the book was rather solid and offered practical advice and explanations.  I did, however, get the vibe every so often that opinions of the authors (the book is a compilation of information from previous publications of Catholic Update) we're not coming from a very conservative Catholic view point.  That said, I do feel that the book still has a lot to offer to those who are not very familiar or comfortable with the sacrament of reconciliation.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, St. Anthony Messenger Press, in exchange for my honest review.