Growing up Catholic, confession as a Sacrament didn’t make sense to me. I thought as a child, it was too perfunctory – go behind the curtain into a box where the priest slides open a mesh-covered window where I tell him I talked in class and was mean to my brother (often making up things just to have something to say), in order to receive absolution. I gave up going to confession before I was old enough to truly appreciate it.
As an adult, I recognize the importance of asking for and receiving forgiveness, especially for ourselves. Absolution, however, goes a step further. By definition, absolve means to set free. Blameless. When we can forgive ourselves for being imperfect, it gives us the ability to forgive others. By offering absolution to ourselves, we can set free the notion that perfection is required – by God or by the divine essence within us, who knows mistakes are the fuel for growth and expansion. Examine your conscious today to discover what self-criticism you are holding onto and set it free. Absolve yourself.