My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
The season of Lent is a time of reflection and, for most of us, it means that we can frequent the sacrament of reconciliation at least once during this season. One might say that the sacrament of reconciliation has fallen on hard times. Long ago were the days when long Saturday confession lines were a normal feature in our Church history. Although the frequency of confession has greatly diminished among our Catholic people, the need for confession remains.
I have often said that today there are more confessions heard in counseling offices, barber shops, hair salons and by bartenders than by priests who alone have the ability to extend God’s forgiveness to the sorrowful. The need for recognizing our faults and speaking to another human person about them is innate in our psyche. Unfortunately, however, many have not given a special place in their lives for receiving this great sacrament.
When they come to prepare themselves for confession, many people wonder, “For what do I need forgiveness?” Certainly, none of us are saints, and the normal events of human life are full of the failings and sins that are most common to us. But still, there are times, however, when people fail to find a need for forgiveness. There is a wonderful story told of a priest who was called to hear the confession of dying soldier. The soldier had been frequenting houses of prostitution. When he confessed to the priest, the soldier told the priest that he was not sorry for what he had done because he needed what he had received from those encounters. The priest wisely asked, “Are you sorry for not being sorry?” and the soldier simply replied, “Yes.” This was all the priest needed to give the soldier absolution. Sometimes we believe that we must be moved to tears to be sorry for our faults. By merely presenting ourselves to the priest, this becomes a sign of contrition and enables the priest to forgive us our sins in God’s name through the words of absolution.
Another instance I clearly remember in my own life as a young priest happened during a catechetical program I had at a neighborhood youth house of detention. At the end of the program, an opportunity for confession was given for the young inmates. One day, an inmate of approximately 16-years of age came to me and said that he had not been to confession since his First Communion. Trying to make the situation comfortable for him, I asked, “What are you sorry for in your life?” He hesitated for a moment and then said, “I am sorry that I am here.” Obviously, he had little introspection and reflection about his life, but there had to be some reason that he was in youth prison. Gradually, I was able to help him to make his confession. Sometimes we are all in that situation when we are sorry that we are not better, and yet we cannot pinpoint the reasons why we have failed to make progress in our spiritual life. The sacrament of reconciliation gives us that wonderful opportunity. Especially during the Year of Mercy, we are able to use the forgiving power of the Church to reorient our lives and make progress in coming closer to the Lord, Himself.
There are many opportunities for Confession in the Church today. Each church posts the times for formal reconciliation, and priests are always available to hear individual confessions by making an appointment. There has been a great development in our area during the past few years in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and the Diocese of Brooklyn: the celebration of Reconciliation Monday, held on the Monday of Holy Week. In all of the churches in our three dioceses, generally from 3 to 9 p.m., a priest will be available to hear confessions. This makes it easier for one to go to a nearby church where you may not be known when you might find it difficult to confess to a priest from your own parish. The success of Reconciliation Monday is without question, as when people have the opportunity for Confession then they take advantage of it for we all need to formally ask God for forgiveness so that we can be better people.
Confession and reception of the sacrament of reconciliation is truly an effort of putting out into the deep recesses of our souls. Without the conscious review of our life, our life has less meaning and can put us into difficult psychological and spiritual circumstances. As the Paschal feast comes closer, please make sure that you have an opportunity to receive the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because this reconciles us to one another and to the Lord who died to reconcile us to the Father.
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