I went to Confession this morning in Clonard Monastery. There were a handful of people waiting. More than there usually is in my own Parish. In fact there I can usually walk right in. In fact our local priests tell me it is not unusual for anyone to go to confession at all. So the poor priest sits there for an hour or so and no-one turns up, which must be really disheartening. When I was young, which isn't really all that long ago, there used to be very long queques for confession, in fact you could easily wait for up to an hour on a Saturday. But although I notice none much seems to bother much with confession there are still a brave few on Sunday waiting for the Eucharist. Now if you were called to see the President of the United States you would get dressed in your very bast clothes and make all sorts of huge preparations. What then if you are to welcome the King of Heaven into your heart? Yet this does not seem to be happening. I think Confession is the key to opening the door to many great graces. So that when we receive Communion, go to Mass, hear the Word of God the chains round our hearts are untied and light can stream in. On the other hand if we do not receive this sacrament we damn up the doorways of our heart and make the entrance of grace much more problematical. Of course in the old days we had our issues. We were , for instance too much inclined to give shopping lists of sins and read things by rote. However just the same we had a sense of sin which the modern Catholic has totally lost. Hell is real, sin is terrible. But there seems to be a kind of attitude, 'I'm doing my vest, God understands' I notice Pope Benedict is trying to change this with great urgency. I hope it is not too late. Pope Benedict has said that the gate may be narrow, but anybody can can get to heaven. However a passport is required, and it must be stamped with the virtues of humility, mercy and truth. Zenit reports that the Holy Father used the metaphor before an audience at the Vatican on Sunday. He said that Christ's message is that everybody has an equal chance of entering through the narrow gate. But he explained that the gate is narrow because "it is demanding, it requires commitment, self-denial and mortification of one's own egoism." He added that "true friendship with Christ ... is expressed by one's way of life: it is expressed by goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love of justice and truth, sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation."
Zephaniah 3:7 I said to the city, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her dwelling would not be cut off, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. The terrible Tribulations that are about to fall on the world and our Holy Mother the Church are not brought about by accident. Our Lady is coming down from heaven in a highly prophetic role. To point out error and extirpate vice. We could do worse than read the Signs of the Times and talk about them. Empty confessional boxes are very much one of those signs as she points out at Medugorje:. "Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to confession." (June 26, 1981) "Pray, pray! It is necessary to believe firmly, to go to confession regularly, and, likewise, to receive Holy Communion. It is the only salvation." (February 10, 1982) "Whoever has done very much evil during his life can go straight to Heaven if he confesses, is sorry for what he has done, and receives Communion at the end of his life." (July 24, 1982) "Monthly confession will be a remedy for the Church in the West. One must convey this message to the West." (August 6, 1982) The priests who will hear confessions will have great joy on that day! (August, 1984) Confession should not be a habit that would "make sinning easy". Vicka says to every group of pilgrims, "Confession is something that has to make a new human being out of you. Our Lady does not want you to think that confession will free you from sin and allow you to continue the same life after that. No, confession is a call to transformation. You must become a new person!" Our Lady explained the same idea to Jelena: "Do not go to confession through habit, to remain the same after that. No, it is not good. Confession should give an impulse to your faith. It should stimulate you and bring you closer to Jesus. If confession does not mean anything for you, really, you will be converted with great difficulty." (November 7, 1983) VATICAN CITY, FEB. 19, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The baptized need to rediscover the sacrament of reconciliation so that they can experience "the boundless renewing power of divine love," says Benedict XVI. The Pope said this today when receiving in audience Cardinal James Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, with the prelates and officials of that tribunal, as well as the penitentiary fathers of the patriarchal basilicas of Rome. "In the gesture of absolution, uttered in the name and on account of the Church, the confessor becomes the conscious means of a wonderful event of grace," the Holy Father said in his address. "On adhering with docility to the magisterium of the Church, he becomes minister of the consoling mercy of God, makes the reality of sin manifest and at the same time the boundless renewing power of divine love, a love that gives life again," the Pontiff added. Thus confession becomes "a spiritual rebirth, which transforms the penitent into a new creature," he stated. Only God Benedict XVI continued: "Only God can realize this miracle of grace, and he does so through the words and gestures of the priest. On experiencing the Lord's tenderness and forgiveness, the penitent more easily acknowledges the gravity of sin and reinforces his decision to avoid it and to remain and grow in his renewed friendship with him. "In virtue of presbyterial ordination, the confessor carries out a particular service 'in persona Christi.'" The Holy Father invited priests to also experience God's forgiveness: "Given such a lofty responsibility, human strength is undoubtedly inadequate." The Pope continued: "We cannot preach forgiveness and reconciliation to others, if we are not personally penetrated by it. "Christ has chosen us, dear priests, to be the only ones who can forgive sins in his name: Therefore, it is a specific ecclesial service to which we must give priority." "How many people in difficulties seek the support and consolation of Christ!" Benedict XVI added. "How many penitents find the peace and joy in confession that they have been pursuing for a long time! How can we not acknowledge that also in our time, marked by so many religious and social challenges, this sacrament must be rediscovered and proposed again."
I've been noticing the opposite -- more people going to Confession. In the last few years, I've been turned away from the Confessional (along with several other people) at least three times, because there were a lot of people at Confession and the priest did not have time to hear them all before Mass time. Usually, it's not crowded at Confession time, but the flow is steady and it takes me at least a 1/2 hour to get my turn. Around Christmas and Easter -- the Confession lines are very long.
I regularly go to Confession at nearby Mount Mellary Abbey, and on two occasions in the last 7 months there was one other person waiting with me. Normally, the church is empty. Also, the place is prone to many tourists and visitors, and hardly any of them attend the Confessional. It must be a lonely afternoon for the priest.
Short lines! I'll be going today! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner!
I was at Knock yesterday and had my confession heard. The place was full. In all places were Mary appears the confession boxes are full. The best advice I ever had on confession came from my Spiritual Director Father Bernard who reminded me that in Confession it is Jesus who talks to us. It fairly makes you sit up and take notice when you believe this..
2 people were in front of me waiting to go to confession. Thinking I would have about 15 minutes to prepare, I was surprised when it only took no more than 3 minutes for those two people to be in and out again. Gee, they must be saints......no real sins. I went to confession more to seek spiritual guidence. But sadly the priest wasn't too interested. I don't know why I went to my parish for confession. I haven't had very good results from there. It may have been because he mentioned at mass how he was left sitting there without any visits the previous week, and I felt sorry for him. About 18 months ago he actually yawned 3 times during my 5 minute confession. I thought next time I need to spice it up a bit. I am always examining my own conscience. So I regularly go to confession. Even though I seem to be repeating myself there. Which is awful in itself, because this proves I'm not trying to correct my faults hard enough. I don't know if it is just me. But I don't seem to get alot out of confession. I will continue to go because I believe in it. Does anyone feel as if they get alot out of confessions? If so, is there a secret to it?
It might help to reflect on the benefits of Confession - see this article from Fr. Hardon: http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Sin/Sin_010.htm Among the benefits are Self-Knowledge is Increased. Bad Habits are Corrected. Conscience is Purified. The Will is Strengthened. Salutary Self-Control is Attained. We Become More Sinless. We Become More Conformed to Jesus Christ. We Become More Submissive to the Holy Spirit. I also suspect that Confession is a lot like Communion in that what you get out of it is related to what you put into it. One Communion has the power to make us saints instantly if we were disposed to receive that grace. A person can show up to a river with a thimble to collect water, and another with a barrel. Receptiveness to grace and believing that grace is there even if we don't feel it, and ability to look past the weaknesses of the confessor and recognizing that confession is a real encounter with Christ who wishes to heal us may help to have more fruitful confessions.
Believe in faith that it is Jesus you meet, just as it is Jesus you meet in mass. Faith changes everything. Look at the Faith these people have in PAdre Pio. Regard your confessor, whoever he may be with similiar respect and he shall be a second Padre Pio. DO not regard the human, regard the divine. For this is what we mean by , 'Sacrament' , the outer face of an inner reality.
confession removes the clutter that I have between God and I. Just like a window. When you clean it... you can see so much better.
It is an adventure, a joy, a hope, a light. I heard an Italian gentleman from Bolton England who went to confession with Padre Pio. Padre Pio reminded him of a sexual sin he commited back in 1941 and had buried. Then St Pio reminded him he had rosary beads in his pocker he had wanted Pio to bless. Ah Padre Pio!!!
We are lucky in our parish. We have three priests who are all excellent confessors. When I confess to them, I can see that they are full of the Holy Spirit. During the week, they will hear confessions if anyone asks. When they do, short lines form, but there are lines. When I went to confession yesterday, my Spiritual Director heard my confession. He was excellent, but I was so embarrassed by what I had to confess to him. I told him it was hard and embarrassing when we knew the priest a little better than the others. He just smiled. I know that Jesus is there, with any of our priests. They get to the heart of the matter and give excellent spiritual direction. We are blessed in our parish.
I missed early mass during the week and went to mass in the afternoon in the University Chapel. THe young priest there is wonderful. But this day I noticed he looked drawn and haggard. He told us he is taking fits of vertigo and may have to give up his Ministry as its getting very difficult. I went to confession to him after mass and it was so clear the poor man is lost in his misery . I have been praying for him. Its so difficult to see why a young vibrant priest like himself with so much wonderful work to do gets burdened like this. I also sense a huge inner torment. Poor man.
I guess this is why our Lady repeatedly asks us to pray for her sons, our shepherds. They have so many challenges, and, I feel, spiritual dangers to face. I wonder if we can ever pray enough for our priests!
Yes indeed rosebud101, sadly a young priest in my area took his own life recently. This man was helping so many troubled souls. It came as a tremendous shock to those of us who knew him. May he rest in peace.
