The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Be Welcomed Home to God
Deacon Rich Longo
For so many generations of Catholics “Confession” or the Sacrament of Reconciliation has become out of style … passé as they say. Citing everything from “I can confess my sins to God on my own” to “why do I have to or want to tell my sins to a Priest many of whom need confession themselves” and the list can go on. I too must admit that at a point of time in my life I was of the same mind set. Thinking that confession was a “thing of the ancient past” and that my personal relationship with God was all that counted. Also too was the notion of just what we were to confess. I don’t know about you but when I grew up my knowledge of confession was something like “how many times did you say a bad word or how many times did you think bad thoughts”. Like me I bet you too have had the same experiences.
The trouble here is that we never graduated past the elementary view and understanding of confession. “Sister Mary” or whoever taught us Catechism taught us at a level that we would be able to comprehend. Problem was that for many of us who thought we were “finished with catechism/religion past the receipt of Confirmation” carried this elementary notion/idea of Confession into our adult lives. Compound this with the cultural revolution of the 60’s, 70s and up to the present time along with a movement away from the Church and to no obvious surprise you have generations who no longer see the value in or believe in one of the greatest sacraments given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As I examine my journey to the Diaconate and my own personal conversion, the Sacrament of Reconciliation played a very important part in it. Having been living a very secular and materialistic life much of which could be associated with the age old notion of “drugs, sex and rock and roll” I came to the realization one day (as many of us do) that there had to be more meaning in life and that God must become a more integral and intimate component of it. One day coming back from Latrobe, PA following a day full of tense and frustrating meetings I found myself pulling into St. Vincent’s College. While I thought at the time it was happenstance I realized later that it was the call and Spirit of God and finally my desire to want to listen and abide by it.
I entered the Basilica and just poured my mind, heart and soul out to God. As I bared my breast so to speak all alone in the Basilica a Monk came out from nowhere and began to play the Organ with quality and sound that could have rivaled Vivaldi. I was completely overwhelmed. After awhile I got up to leave and mind you there was no one in the Basilica. Yet, when I stood up and turned to leave, about five or fewer feet in front of me stood a Benedictine Priest. The next thing I know I said to him “Fr please hear my Confession as it has been well over fifteen years” He looked at me: put his arms out towards me and with hesitation said to me “welcome home Son”! The rest as they say is history!
Welcome Home Son! To think that the God of the universe who wants for northing yet loves us so much forgives us no matter what! What could be more awesome than that? Just think about the power to be able to cleanse your soul with your Creator and ultimate lover so that you might be able to enter a more perfect union with him. As I soon came to realize Reconciliation has the power and grace to forgive me I changed in every aspect of the word. Jesus commissioned his Apostles to go out and forgive sins in his name and when done the sins would be forgiven in his name. John 20:22-23 says “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
The operative point here is that in the name of Jesus Christ and through the Apostles and hence via Apostolic lineage that sins are forgiven. The Priest who is the descendent of the Apostles thru Apostolic Succession and Holy Orders is in essence the medium between you and Jesus. Remember it is NOT the priest absolving you of sin rather our Lord and Savior thru the Priest. While Christ Left his earthly existence he gave us his existence and presence in the Sacraments. The priest therefore can be likened to an “Ambassador” who is the representative of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God”. Again remember it is NOT about the Priest rather your willingness to acknowledge sin and your desire to be forgiven by our Lord and Savior. So whether you like or dislike a priest remember it is your proper disposition to encounter and receive the sacrament along with being contrite irrespective of the Priest and his degree of holiness or merits that truly counts. “He (the priest) has been given the power to absolve you as a successor in the linage of the Apostles and by holy orders” (Catechism #1461).
You go to a doctor to cure your body so too do you need Reconciliation to cure your soul. When we sin we distance ourselves from God. Reconciliation and the power of forgiveness reconcile us to God. OK so you might say Deacon Rich we get it from the theological perspective but how do we overcome the adolescent perspective of Confession. Well first you have to understand and know what is serious sin. For starters if we think about the deadly sins we are well on our way to garnering a better understanding of this incredible Sacrament. So what are the deadly sins? These are
- Pride: An unrestrained appreciation of our own worth.
- Avarice or Greed: An immoderate desire for earthly goods.
- Lust: A hankering after impure pleasures.
- Anger: An inordinate desire for revenge.
- Gluttony: An unrestrained use of food and drink.
- Envy: Sorrow over the good fortune of our neighbor.
- Sloth: Laziness to do right, or carelessness to do right and to practice virtue because of the trouble attached to it.
Examining one’s conscience thinking about these sins along with an examination of the Commandments and with the following guide will help you prepare for a sincere and heartfelt encounter with the Lord in order that you might reconcile yourself to him
Father forgive us for the times:
When we have been proud instead of being humble. .. we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have been envious instead of showing kindness. . . we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have been angry instead of being patient we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have been lazy in faith instead of diligently loving God… we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we focus on material possessions instead of giving generously. .. we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have over indulged instead of showing self control…w e pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have entertained lust, instead of embracing purity…w e pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have doubted God’s love instead of believing in God’s goodness we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have allowed ourselves to fall in despair instead of trusting in God…we pray:
Father forgive us.
When we have been selfish instead of showing self giving love…w e pray:
Father forgive us.