I can tell you from my years of experience in going to #Confession: I've never viewed it as a "work" I could do to cause God to owe me forgiveness. To me, it is a humbling encounter in which you "tell on yourself" and receive the gift of undeserved forgiveness. No sin is too big for God to forgive, and that is so good to know. But saying, "I don't have to tell my sins to a man! I can go straight to God!" -- I might guess that person does not have a habit of examining his conscience regularly or even confessing every specific serious sin every time to God (I could be wrong about that; it's a generalization). We Catholics go to Confession for the sake of confessing with humility, for absolution (guaranteed unless one is not sorry for one's sins), and for special strength to resist future temptations to sin. We don't earn forgiveness, but in light of the Judgment after this life is over, we sure will take it. Praise be to God. John 20:23