a) What is the sacrament of Confession?
The sacrament of Confession is the sacrament through which sinners obtain from God the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism through the absolution of the priest, and achieve reconciliation with the Church they have wounded by sinning. It is also called the sacrament of “Penance,” of “Reconciliation,” of “Conversion,” of “Pardon,” and of “Forgiveness.” Jesus Christ gave the Apostles the power to forgive sins when on Easter Sunday he said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). The Apostles, in turn, handed down this power to their successors in the priesthood.
The principal effects of worthily receiving the sacrament of Confession are: reconciliation with God, and with it, the restoration or increase of sanctifying grace; reconciliation with the Church whom we have harmed by our sins; remission of eternal punishment due to mortal sin; remission of at least part of the temporal punishment remaining to be paid for, after the forgiveness of sins; peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation; and increase of spiritual strength needed for our struggle in our Christian life, in that we receive help to avoid sin in the future, and the merits of our good works are restored if they have been lost through mortal sin.
b) Why should an Altar Server confess regularly and frequently?
The Altar Server’s delicate love for God and the Church makes him wish to ask pardon immediately even after little faults or shortcomings, and to ask for grace to avoid them in the future. The best way to bring this desire into practice is through regular and frequent Confession, and by making acts of contrition and of reparation during the day.
An Altar Server should also serve the Church through the “Apostolate of Confession,” that is, by personally encouraging his relatives, friends, and classmates to approach this sacrament often.