Some Thoughts on Confession

I just found this rather beautiful Catholic picture of Our Lord and children at the Confessional. Now, far be it for me to start infantilising the Catholic Faith, but there is a sense in which, although we are adults, we shall always be God's children. I dare say that even if a man is killing his immortal soul in all manner of mortal sins, Our Lord still looks upon him as His child. It isn't the children in the scene which are striking, but the image of Our Lord standing and listening to the Confessions of the penitent. For, as we Catholic are taught, the Priest is the instrument in the Confessional, but through him, Jesus Christ Himself, is listening to us and it is Jesus Christ Himself who absolves us of our sins.

Many people who do not believe in the Catholic Faith and many Protestants cannot understand why Catholics confess to a Priest. Well, when I talk to some priests, it becomes apparent that many Catholics seem not to understand this either, which as a convert I find hard to believe. The main point is that, as was mentioned in the Holy Gospel today, that God came "not to condemn the World, but to save it!"

If such a man as I described, and alas for me, I happen to be such a man, goes to Confession and seeks absolution for his sins, with a firm purpose of amendment and does the penance assigned to him by the Priest, he is restored to friendship with God and the Body of Christ, the Church. The hope is that such a man might spend more time in holy prayer and doing penance, becoming fruitful of good works and save his immortal soul, thanking his lucky stars that God did not inflict upon him a sudden death.

I always look upon the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a chief blessing of the Church. Those who do not, I feel sorry for, because guilt does have a habit of gnawing away at us, and even more so if unconfessed. It is all very well, saying to God in private, "I am sorry for doing that," but in Confession it is Christ who, through the Priest says, "And I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

So you see, our prayer for forgiveness is not left unanswered. It is no longer a cry in the dark through the fog of a cloudy mind and heart. It is always Christ who has the final say and after the Absolution he says, "Go in Peace."