The sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as Confession, is a sacrament, unlike Baptism because Catholics can and should go to Confession more than once. The simplest definition of grace is God in our lives, and it is through the sacraments that we receive grace. Every time we go to Confession, we become more humble because of the fact that we are openly admitting our faults and sins to another and we gain grace because God tells us to repent and when we obey his commands, we receive more of Him (we receive more grace). In John Chapter 20 Jesus gives His apostles the power to forgive sins when he explains to them that “whose sins you forgive are forgiven and whose sins you do not forgive are not forgiven…” The Catholic Church does not teach that you must go to Confession in order to have your venial sins forgiven, but in order to have a mortal sin forgiven you must go to Confession unless you are on your death bed. In that case, you can be forgiven just by asking and being truly sorry. The Roman Catholic Church places no limit on number of time you can go to Confession; however, Catholics are asked to go at least once a year but the more the better. The Catholic Church teaches that in order to be forgiven whether at Confession or just confessing through private prayer, you must:
Acknowledge and confess the sins committed through your own fault
Repent and TRULY be sorry for the sins that you have committed
Have the intention of not doing it again
(If you go to Confession, you will be given a penance and you need to complete that penance although it is not necessary for the forgiveness)