By Ainish Philip
I met a 21 year old young woman recently at a retreat. She had a glorious joy on her face which was beyond description. I asked her, “Did you meet Jesus? She said quite happily, “Yes! I did, at the confessional after 6 long years!” And tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as she kept saying, “I am free in Jesus! He took my burdens away!”
When I meet young people at the retreats, they seem to be like this little child going with a rather heavy bag to school and wait for his parents to come and give that heavy bag to them and run with joy to play! That is the joy which everyone experiences because Jesus takes away the burden of their sins and guilt.
One of the tactics satan uses against the children of God is to keep us away from the Sacrament of Confession. What does the devil make us think? The following: “I will do it later, what’s the hurry; it’s okay not to go; what will the priest think of me; the priest will be shocked on hearing my sin; my sin is too big and I am afraid and ashamed to speak it out!” St Augustine says, "In failing to confess, Lord, I would only hide You from myself, not myself from You."
Confession is a healing sacrament of mind, body and soul where the Lord’s mercy is poured into our hearts. It is a sacrament ministered by priests with apostolic authority to forgive sins. After His resurrection, Jesus empowered the apostles to forgive sins. “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23). Jesus shares His divinity with the priests in demonstrating His power through the sacrament of forgiveness. According to St, Francis de Sales, in confession not only we receive the grace to repair whatever damage has been done, but we also practise the virtue of humility, obedience and simplicity.
So what happens during Confession?
The priest prays for us, absolves us of our sins, and gives us the needed encouragement. We can talk to the priest if we are afraid to confess something. The priest will help us for sure to vent it out. And the penance which one gets is a message from God that you can now begin to start a new life in Christ – you have received the new grace to run the good race. Once forgiven, Jesus gives us the holy desire to detach from sin, and the grace to fight the good fight.
How do I prepare for Confession?
Before going for confession, we pray to the Holy Spirit to reveal the areas where we have missed the mark of living a holy life and be granted the gift of true repentance. Ask Mother Mary to come along to the confessional. She will gladly assist her children. For those who forget their sins, a good way is to write it on a paper and take it to the confession. Mother Teresa had a habit of writing down her sins on a sheet of paper before confession. Reading the Bible especially Psalm 51 helps to prepare an authentic confession - ‘a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart O Lord” (Ps 51:17).
How often should I go for Confession?
Frequent confession- at least once a month is recommended as part of growing in holiness, since we become more inclined towards overcoming our sins. In fact, Pope Francis said he goes to confession every two weeks, knowing that God never tires of forgiving those who ask for mercy. Pope John Paul II went to confession weekly, as did St Dominic Savio. St Thomas Aquinas, St Margaret of Cortona went to confession just about every day- not because they were great sinners, but to humble themselves and come closer to Jesus. "After confession," says St. Chrysostom, ”a crown is given to penitents."
“If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Jesus is waiting for us with loving arms to receive us and fill us with His never ending grace. If we commit a mortal sin, we must seek to reconcile ourselves with God as soon as possible. And for those who seem to have forgotten how to say the Act of Contrition, a simple prayer like this would do: Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, have mercy on me.
On the walls in the sacristies of the Missionaries of Charity it is written: “Say this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass and your only Mass.” Same way, before we go to make our Confession, let us say to ourselves: “Confess your sins as if it were your first, last and only time.”
Don’t put off confession for tomorrow. Go for confession soon. It’s hard to beat the sense of a fresh start after it!
Stay in peace. Stay with Jesus.
Ps. Post your thoughts and questions on the 'Post your Comments' page.