Pastor's Letter -- March 7, 2021

An invitation to Confession
This season of Lent is a time for returning to the Lord, so I want to help you prepare for a good Confession. In the story of the Prodigal Son (worth reading! Luke 15: 11-32) we see a perfect summary of the heart of the Father seeking to reconcile with the soul lost in its own sinful wanderings. St. Augustine defines sin as incurvatus in se, “curved in upon itself.” In doing so, we will experience ruptures of communion with God and others as our souls “turn their backs” to those around us. The Father wants freedom for us, and that is what Confession is about.
 
Please be aware of two special nights of Confession this month. One is this Tuesday from 6-8pm. Every church in the diocese will have Confessions. So if you live closer to another parish and want to be more “anonymous” for Confession, try that parish during those hours.
 
Another night for Confession will be on March 30th from 5:30-8:30. Spreading out this time even further, and starting earlier, allows for families to make this more feasible - either coming in two different waves or as a large group before bedtimes arrive.
 
We human creatures, as embodied souls, both spiritual and material, need the sacraments that are themselves a blending of both the spiritual and material. In the sacrament of Confession, we encounter the bodily-ness of the human encounter with the priest: we have to go and sit (or kneel) before another person and say we are sorry. We must endure the work of admitting our contrition in order to be reconciled, thus to look up-close and eye-to-eye once again (cilia is Latin for eyelashes, hence re-con-cilia-tion). God is staring at you with love. But you won’t notice it until you can truly own up to your mistakes with repentance. Or perhaps it is the reverse: when staring into the Lord’s eyes, the gaze of love emboldens us to make a full repentance.
 
I encourage you to prepare yourself well for this sacrament by making a good examination of Conscience. This is a way by which we review our lives since our last confession, searching our thoughts, words, and actions for that which did not conform to God’s command to love him and one another through his laws and the laws of his Church. There are many such resources available online. If you regularly attend Confession, I would recommend looking for an examination specific to your situation (married couples, priests, teens, young adults, etc.) or finding one based on the virtues or fruits of the Spirit.
 
In beginning that examination, I would recommend a prayer such as the following:
O loving and merciful God! help me to make a good Confession. Help me to examine my conscience, that I shall be able to tell the priest what sins I have committed and how often. Let me feel a deep sorrow for all my sins and give me the grace to firmly resolve not to sin again. 
 
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, my dear Guardian Angel, and all ye blessed Angels and Saints in Heaven, pray for me, that I shall make a good Confession, and from now on lead a good life, so that I shall join thee in Heaven to praise our dear Lord, forever and ever.
 
The rite of Confession is not difficult, but it does require the preparation of an examination of conscience. When you have ascertained with God’s help the sins you are to confess, and your heart is contrite of all your serious (mortal) sins, you are ready to enter into the sacrament. You may get in line if one is formed.
 
Rite of Reconciliation
Reconciliation may be face-to-face or anonymous, with a screen between you and the priest. Choose the option that is the most comfortable and spiritually beneficial for you.
 
1.Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “Bless me, father, for I have sinned. My last confession was ‘x’ weeks/months/years ago.”
 
2.Confess all of your sins to the priest. The priest will help you to make a good confession. If you are unsure about how to confess or you feel uneasy, just ask him to help you. Answer his questions without hiding anything out of fear or shame. Place your trust in God, a merciful Father who wants to forgive you.
 
3.Following your confession of sins, say, “I am sorry for these and all of my sins.”
 
4.The priest assigns you a penance and offers advice to help you be a better Catholic.
 
5.Say an Act of Contrition, expressing your sorrow for your sins. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, then absolves you from your sins. You mark yourself with the sign of the cross as he gives you the blessing of absolution 
 
6.Go and say a prayer of thanksgiving to God in the church and don’t forget to do your penance as it is possible for you.