Exiit qui seminat - "The sower goes out to sow"

This week, we start talking about the first of the two Sacraments of Healing: Penance and Anointing of the sick.

When the Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about "Confession" in discusses the sacrament in terms of Penance and Reconciliation. The Catechism quotes Lumen gentium, a document from the 2nd Vatican Council: "Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion" (LG 11 § 2). All three terms for this sacrament speak to a different dimension of accessing God's mercy. Out of humility, we confess our sins and our faults before the priest. While we can't make up for our sins on our own, we do acts of penance to show how sorrow for our actions and get back on track in terms of living a Christian life. Finally, the goal of going to confession to reconcile/heal/repair our relationship with God. There are two reasons why we go to confession. We either have sorrow because we disobeyed God or "perfect" contrition or we wish to avoid the consequences of our sinful actions - "imperfect" contrition. Thankfully, both are valid reasons for going to confession. However, there are many Catholics who don't think that confession is necessary; that they can just go directly to God and have their sins forgiven. While such forgiveness is possible, it is rare for any of us to have perfect contrition. The reality is that serious or mortal sin separates us from God's grace and having a relationship with Him and the only way to regain to access grace is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Catechism states that "[i]ndividual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church" (CCC 1497). We also have to mindful to the fact that the devil does NOT want us to be reconciled with God and he will often try to make us believe that our sins are much greater than the Lord's forgiveness. This couldn't be further from the truth!!! There is no sin that we can imagine that is more powerful than God's love. All we have to do is make the first move towards the Lord and He does the rest! Saturday is the usual day for Confession between 4 PM and 4:45, but it's not the only time. You can always call the parish a make an appointment to talk to a priest. You don't even have to say it's for a Confession!!! In addition it's my goal is to offer Confession one weekend a month starting in September.

SO, if it's been awhile since you've been to Confession, now is the time to experience the fullness of God's mercy. He is patiently and expectantly waiting for you!

Fr. Rob