Last summer I decided that I wanted to meet with a priest for Reconciliation. I had not recieved the sacrament in 32 years. I made an appointment with a new priest at our parish. The first thing he said to me was "welcome back." He coached me through the process (which has changed a bit since 1956 when I first learned about "confession.") As he absolved me of my sins, I felt as if I was as close to God as I could get. I knew this priest was a man,who had his own human imperfections, but within the context of the sacrament, I felt as if he was truly speaking for God.