Reflection on the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Much has been made in the last several decades about the decline of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our elders will tell us about the days when people would quite literally line up to celebrate the sacrament and now, well maybe not so much. That may have been true once, but I don’t believe it is true anymore. I have been so encouraged by the many people who are “lining up” again to encounter the mercy of God in the sacrament.

Many Saturdays, people are already waiting for us in the church and we hear confessions for the entire time allotted. Many years ago, I preached a homily in which I admitted I didn’t particularly enjoy going to confession – even though I celebrate the sacrament with my confessor routinely every 2 to 3 weeks. I talked about how hard it can be to sit before another flawed and sinful human being and humbly acknowledge, without justification or excuse, that I too am flawed and sinful. The following Saturday, someone who had heard that homily entered my confessional. It had been more than a decade since that person celebrated the sacrament and my words had given that person courage to come back. Sometimes that’s all we need – a little courage and a great deal of trust in the Christ’s merciful love to come back to Him and be healed.

So why go to confession? At the risk of sounding simplistic, because Christ asks it of us. The first fruit of His Death and Resurrection is reconciliation – the forgiveness of sin and the restoration of our friendship with God. On the evening of His Resurrection, the Risen Lord entrusts to His Church the authority to forgive sins in His Name. “Whosoever’s sins you forgive shall be forgiven. Whosoever’s sins you hold bound shall be held bound…” (Jn 21:22) So why would we deny ourselves something that Christ Himself gave us as a means by which He embraces us in mercy and restores us to grace?

Sometimes it just takes a little courage and a great deal of trust to enter the confessional. No matter how long it has been, how far we’ve strayed, or how broken we are, Christ waits for us with tender mercy and faithful love when we turn to Him in contrition. So, please join us for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday night, December 19, beginning at 7:00 pm.