It is never easy admitting doing something you regret and are ashamed of ... In the hard labor of growing up, one of the most agonizing tasks is becoming able to say, "I'm sorry." Once a defining feature of Christian life, the practice of confession has largely faded in recent years. And yet, without an acknowledgment of sin and the longing for forgiveness and reconciliation the Gospel makes little sense. In Confession Jim Forest offers a moving reappraisal of this neglected sacrament, drawing on scripture, the lives of the saints, and a wealth of personal stories. From St. Augustine and St. Paul, to Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Dostoevsky, Forest shows how the practice of confession draws us deeper into a loving relationship with God, the body of Christ, and with our fellow sinners.