Sacrament of Penance

Nothing! Those are all different names for the same Sacrament. The different names highlight a different aspect of the Sacrament: reconciliation focuses on how our relationship with God is restored; penance focuses on our action to make reparation for our sins; and confession focuses on the act of admitting our sins before God.

Only God can forgive sin since every sin (whether private or public, personal or communal) is committed against God and His law. However, God gave His authority to forgive sins to the apostles (see Matthew 18:18). When a priest administers any sacrament, he is in the person of Christ and acts with his authority. When the priest says, "I absolve you from your sins," he is speaking as Christ through the ministry of the church.

A good spiritual habit is to go to Reconciliation once a month. The church requires that every Catholic go at least once a year before Easter.

To prepare, it is necessary to examine your conscience and to do so regularly. Every night, you should reflect on your day and see when you have loved God and when you have failed to love Him. A good examination of conscience is provided here.