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September 17, 2022The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Healing Power of Confession
In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you can go to confession with the knowledge that your interactions with the priest are completely confidential. Privacy is a foundation of the Sacrament as the priest is bound by Church law never to reveal the content of Confession under any circumstance.
We tell our sins to a priest because . . .
1. God comes to us through human means;
2. We also confess our sins to another person in a sense of community as we have offended God and neighbor;
3. Confessing directly to a person makes the experience more real which involves conversation;
4. Telling the priest our sins will help us gain feedback, an objective view of our actions and thoughts and as we are given penance and reflect on love, mercy and forgiveness;
5. Through the words of the priest, we gain some sense of transformation, a feeling of renewal.
It does not matter how long it has been since your last confession. The Lord loves each and every one of us. His arms are always open to us and welcomes us no matter the situations.
The Priest will help you make a good confession. Do not be afraid to tell him if you feel unsure or uneasy about how to talk about certain problem areas. He will guide you to share openly. Trust in God fully. As you tell the Lord your sins through the person of the priest, you express your sorrow and your wish to reconcile with God and others. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, will absolve you for your sins as you make a sincere confession. As you express your contrition and sorrow, you get to say “Amen” near the end of confession which says to the Lord “Yes, let it be so” as your sins are forgiven. The forgiveness of sins is known confidently through the words of absolution that the priest says over you with the blessing hand extended that provides us pardon and peace, the confidence of being forgiven, the assurance we are loved by a merciful God, and brings us grace necessary to carry out the work of God. It gives us freedom to truly become whom we long to be.
The priest helps us to experience the presence of God in the process of our healing from the effects of our sin and related suffering. The following ideas may be useful:
Acknowledge your suffering and pain. Reflect on what the priest shared with you in how to deal with the effects of sin. Read the Psalms 22, 44, 53, 77, 88, and 109 and others can help you lament and explain your pain to a loving God who is always listening,
Trust in God. Through our lament, we can become renewed. Our relationship with God is strengthened as we share in the suffering of our Lord. The lament helps us to remain in communication with our God.
Act. Our trust in God helps us to respond to suffering in our action. We move toward change in our lives to become closer to God. We may need to reach out to others in simple conversation or we may need to discuss our problem areas with a Spiritual Director or ask for further help.
Pray. Throughout the Bible, Jesus prayed and prayed often. He prayed when he was to make a big decision, he prayed to heal people, he prayed for the needs of others, and he prayed when he faced suffering. The power of prayer brings peace.
Stand in awe. Your God loves you and is with you always as He told his people throughout the ages.
A Prayer of Love, Comfort and Reconciliation . . . A Magnificat for Renewal
My heart shudders in God's close breath,
and I stand silent before majesty and mercy.
God shines in the eyes of those who love me,
startles me with unending surprises.
God's mercy rains on me.
I lift my face to drink its cleansing power
God's humor overturns my selfish plans,
shakes out my stifling impatience.
God favors me with family, friends and the strangers that are brought into my life;
graces me with the poetry of goodness in heart, mind and soul
and the intuition to do what is right.
And I praise God with these,
with the gift of myself.
God upholds the promise lived through Jesus
present in the world, and my heart rejoices!
Fr. John
