By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture - During His first appearance to the assembly of the apostles after His Resurrection, Jesus institutes the Sacrament of Penance: “He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” (Jn. 20:22-23) The Sacrament of Penance helps us face reality and change the world... Facing reality is often uncomfortable. We reveal our lifestyle habits to our doctors. We report the intimate details of our finances to the IRS. But we are more nervous about confessing our sins to a priest even though fewer details are required.