Sunday Inbox Inspirations
3rd Sunday of Advent
Cycle C
December 12, 2021
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
When I was a child, my parents used to take my brother and me to confession about every two weeks.
Now, I imagine some of you are thinking: he probably needed it! Well, maybe I did, but in those days, a lot of people did this.
Today, the great majority of us don’t come to this Sacrament with that frequency. So, this morning, I want to reflect with you on two questions.
First, why do we have this Sacrament of Reconciliation? And second, when or how often does our Church teaching require us to go to confession?
1. Why Verbal Confession
So first, why is confession part of our Catholic tradition?
Why do we have this practice of verbally confessing our sins to a priest and verbally hearing absolution? I think the answer comes down to this.
We are relational and social persons. Whenever we do something wrong, like children back-talking their parents, it has an effect on others.
And whenever we fail to do something good, like not taking up for a classmate who is being bullied, it has an effect on others. So, verbally confessing our sins and saying “I am sorry” expresses our relational and social nature.
On the flip side, hearing another person say words of forgiveness also responds to our relational and social nature. In Reconciliation, the other person is a priest who in this sacrament represents Christ.
There is a certain fullness and completeness to actually speaking my sorrow for sin to another person and actually hearing words of forgiveness. Our Catholic tradition of confession only makes sense if we first remember this.
2. When Or How Often
That takes us to the second question: When or how often are we expected to go to this Sacrament?
Let’s put it in this context. Church law says that we are to go to Mass every Sunday – every Sunday.
The Mass is the highest priority. Church law also says that we are to come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation if we have committed serious sin.
So there is a big difference here. We are bound to come to confession only if we have been unfaithful to God or to our calling in life in some very significant way.
Now, the Church also encourages us to come to this Sacrament at other times. We are encouraged to use the sacrament for lesser faults or imperfections or sins.
The idea is that this Sacrament can be helpful in our overall spiritual growth. It gives us God’s grace.
It can help us to grow closer to God. It is meant to be an opportunity – a good opportunity, not a burden.
The Reality
Now, I know that some of you find this Sacrament very enriching.
You use it regularly for your spiritual well-being. I also know that some Catholics find this to be a challenging Sacrament.
They do not use it regularly or see it as a necessary means for their spiritual growth. But they are living good lives and being good Catholics.
Two Recommendations
With that, I want to make two recommendations.
First, please review your own thoughts and feelings about this Sacrament. Just review this in light of what I have said today.
Consider its place in your life. Try to discern what place it might have in your relationship with God.
And second, every day, in the evening, do a review of the day that is ending. Or, in the morning, do a review of the previous day.
Take a look at your day and see if there is any instance where you did not follow the way of the Lord. And then pray what we call an Act of Contrition.
We can also call this a Prayer for Forgiveness or a Prayer of Resolve. In my bulletin column this weekend, I give an Act of Contrition that I especially recommend.
Praying this prayer will be a way to express our need for spiritual growth. And, during Advent, it will be a way to respond to John the Baptist’s call for repentance.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
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