It had the privilege of hearing a Franciscan brother speak yesterday during a Holy week retreat. One of the things he spoke of oddly enough was about confessions. So here are some thoughts of his plus my own - of course. We spend our lives portraying the best face we can to the world. We would be loath to tell anyone those aspects of ourselves that we may not be too proud of. Perhaps that's what the confession box is for but even then we are a little skittish to say it all. We are happy that we will be forgiven, remember that. I think we may bypass an important part of any confession (and in this case I mean the sacrament of penance). That is, we try to hide the worst parts of us as if God does not already know it. God knows it ALL and still calls to us. And remember that part of being happy about we will be forgiven? Well we are already forgiven - for all that we say and all that we can't find the words to say or to admit to ourselves. God still invites us into an intimate relationship with him. God still loves us and forgives us totally and without reservation.
It seems that confession, that Sacrament that is so good for the soul, is not that we will be forgiven, it's all about accepting the forgiveness God has already granted us, he died on the cross for our sins - already. We have to accept the forgiveness. We have to accept our own flaws and faults, foibles and faux pas.
As part of our Lenten journey where I suggest we take a hard look at ourselves, realize that God already knows it all and still loves us beyond our measure or even our comprehension. That does not mean we should not acknowledge it ourselves. That is how we will grow. That will bring us into a closer relationship with God and help us appreciate his love all the more.
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
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