It is the Holy Spirit who moves the follower of Christ who has sinned to come to the Sacrament of Penance. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek deeper and deeper conversion to God. This process of conversion through the Sacrament of Reconciliation has four elements: contrition, confessions, penance and absolution. Contrition is the most important element. This is heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed together with the intention of sinning no more. This heartfelt sorrow flows from awareness of God’s love, made manifest in Jesus. I like to use the analogy of a window. On a cloudy day, the window looks ok. However, on a bright sunny day all the dirt is more visible. When we feel the loving presence of God more deeply, we also are more aware of our sin and the need for God’s cleansing love. Contrition is not based on fear; its source is love. In the revision of the ritual from the Second Vatican Council, prayers focusing of fear of hell were replaced by prayers focusing on God’s love.