Why is there no Confession of Sin in the Liturgy during Eastertide?

The Feast of Easter is the Queen of feasts, the pinnacle of Christian life and worship. It is a season of life and light which calls to mind the fullness of life in God that awaits us in the life to come when we will be raised to life eternal in the presence of God. 

Throughout Lent we spent time in penance and fasting, intentionally working on turning away from sin and turning towards God. We contemplated what life is like when we separate ourselves from God and others by our selfish choices. During Easter, the church calls us to contemplate the reality of abundant life in and with God, through Jesus Christ. The triumph of Christ’s resurrection reminds us of Love’s final victory, when once and for all the powers of sin and darkness will be vanquished in God’s perfect reign.

The ancient Church omitted the Confession of Sin during the Mass during the Easter Season, not because people stopped sinning during this period, but because it was believed that this season was full of grace by virtue of our Lord’s Resurrection. In Lent we remember the consequences of “wrong living”; in Easter we remember and practice “right living”, more intentionally following Christ’s Way of Love.

Of course, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is always available for those who need it at any time, and the faithful are encouraged to confess their sins in their daily private prayers, even during the season of Easter. But Eastertide offers us a special grace, to imagine what our life could be like without sin, centered completely on God’s Love. Embrace the grace God so freely offers us to live an abundant life that radiates light and life to the world. Let us  Be Resurrection!