Confession. If you grew up in the '50s and '60s, it was a scary proposition—going into a darkened booth, waiting nervously for the priest to finish with the person on the other side, hoping you would remember all your sins so as not to make a "bad" confession and trying not to trip up on the words to the Act of Contrition.

Even worse than getting the rubrics right was the idea of telling a random and often formidable-looking authority figure all the ways in which you screwed up. (As a kid, almost every adult looks formidable.)

In the '70s, the Church tried to make the sacrament more relaxed by introducing face-to-face confession. For some of us, it helped, but others felt even more self-conscious without the screen to protect our anonymity.

It is a sad thing that what Jesus intended as a beautiful instrument of healing designed to deepen our relationship with God and fill us with grace is often associated with stomach-churning anxiety.

Undoubtedly, there are many other reasons people avoid going to confession, but odds are, the not-so-great childhood memories play a role.

The Church says each of us should go to confession during Advent. It is a penitential season after all. We are adults now, so maybe it's time to stop making excuses and just go. What if it ignited a spark in us? What if it changed our lives in ways we could never imagine? Why not take a chance and find out what's been missing?

Fr. Comer hears confessions on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 11 am. Or you can go to another parish. Either way, let's not ignore the gift Jesus gave us out of His deep, unconditional love for us.