7 Secrets of Confessions. Vinny Flynn. 2013. I learned a lot from this short book and think that most Catholics and a lot of Protestants could too. We can all benefit from reading about the nature of sin, and God’s eternal love and forgiveness. The author quotes St. Faustina, St. John Paul II, and Benedict XVII liberally. It doesn’t take long to read, but it is a good book to re-read. ( )

The understanding that many Catholics have of the Sacrament of Confession is so limited and narrow in its focus that it keeps them from discovering the real beauty and value of this Sacrament -- beauty and value that even a young child can understand if it's presented properly. For too many Catholics, Confession is just a means to an end: cleaning us up from sin so we can receive Communion. But, as Pope Francis tells us, Confession is much more than "going to the dry cleaner." It's "an encounter with Jesus, who waits for us as we are."

In his years of speaking all over North America, Flynn saw that many Catholics have this limited appreciation of Confession, and the urgent need for clear teaching about this great Sacrament. If you have not yet experienced Confession as a wonderful, personal encounter with Christ; if you do not yet look forward to going to Confession with the same eagerness and expectation with which you receive Holy Communion, this book is for you. It will be a whole new way of going to Confession, inviting you to begin an exciting personal journey to healing and holiness. It may change your life.