By Paul Suski –
The saints have always reminded us how important it is to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently.
St. John Paul II who went to Confession weekly, said: “Those who go to confession frequently and do so with the desire to make progress, know they have received in this sacrament, through pardon from God and grace from the Spirit, a precious light for the path of perfection.”
Also read: Rediscovering the Sacrament of Reconciliation
St. Francis de Sales in his book Introduction to the Devout Life, written for the 17th century laity, recommends regular and frequent confession:
“Even though your conscience is not burdened with mortal sin; for in confession you do not only receive absolution for your venial sins, but you also receive great strength to help you in avoiding them henceforth, clearer light to discover your failings, and abundant grace to make up whatever loss you have incurred through those faults.”
One of the maxims of St. Philip Neri on the subject says: “Frequent confession is the cause of great good to the soul, because it purifies it, heals it, and confirms it in the service of God.”
A practice of regular confession looks different for each person – whether it is once a month, every two weeks, or every season, it is important that each one individually or with the guidance of spiritual director can discern what is the best for them. It should be remembered, that the number of confessions does not increase or decrease God’s love for us but it does increase or decrease our love for God. A weekly confession of lay person may be found as alarmingly excessive, a sign of scrupulosity, not to mention it being impractical, albeit every season or less often may be proof of an easy going attitude to spiritual life and become hazardous in case God wishes abruptly to end someone’s life.
The practice of going to confession during Mass is more common, although not universal, in Polish, Latino and Italian communities. However, different cultural factors here often come into play. The faithful hailing from an Irish, Anglo-Celtic and North European heritage are generally accustomed to a separation of the two sacraments. The priests, by and large, feel reluctant to make confession available during Mass.
Many Conservatives say that prior to the Second Vatican Council, the church was a rock of stability and certainty in a stormy world and Catholics in large numbers went to confession, then almost overnight it changed because sin was de-emphasized. For years, in many big parishes, large numbers of people went to Communion every week, while very few went to Confession. There were apparent reasons to wonder if there were also many unworthy and sacrilegious Communions received. This is certainly true for the majority of Western Democracies but not necessarily for the rest of the Catholic World.
Long lines of penitents waiting for the sacrament of reconciliation hitherto could be seen in major cities of Poland not only on the main solemnities but also on the First Fridays and Saturdays of each month before the tsunami of Covid-insanity hit the world.
Although God is a being omnipotent, omniscient, perfectly good, and eternal, He cannot force us to love Him. If God created us without free will, we would be living machines or slaves, not made in His image and likeness. Therefore, God in His infinite mercy will wait until the final moments of a sinner’s life, but “those who run away from His merciful Heart will fall into the hands of His justice” (Diary 1728). Regrettably, many Australian Catholics, especially young, are following the global trend towards eco-consciousness as a substitute for real Christian virtues.
Finally, may the words received from Jesus by a contemporary Polish mystic, Alicja Lenczewska, be a dire warning to all those who never want to hear of confessing; what is more – willfully neglect meeting Jesus in the afterlife. “Turning away from God, especially by definite break-up and rebellion against him, is suicide and deicide. It is killing what is divine in man and thus condemning oneself to eternal, terrible suffering, parallel to ripping out one’s heart.”
Aren’t there things in us or in our fellow sinners that need pruning, such as pride, hatred, cruelty, envy, anger, violence? Perhaps, you need to sink so low into your misery as to weep bitterly like Simon Peter!
“Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:10)
A postscript:
Saint Joseph is our most powerful intercessor in preparing a soul for the great sacrament of mercy. The story is set in Eastern Poland in Borysław, the diocese of Lwów (Lviv), in 1930 where the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary reportedly manifested himself to an assistant pastor, Father Adam Sikora.
“One day, at the end of the afternoon Fr. Adam was exhausted and fell asleep. All of a sudden, someone loudly knocked on the window and woke him up crying out insistently: “Please, get up immediately and visit a sick person who is dying in the second floor apartment at 50 Sobieskiego Street (in Lwów).” The priest rose, went to the porch to meet the person who would lead him to the sick but no one was there. However, after a short time, the same happened again. The priest went out to the porch but nobody was found. “Maybe some Ukrainians want to drag me out of the house at night and kill me” he thought.
This time Fr. Adam lay down on the bed in clerical clothing. After a while, although the doors were locked, an old man came in, approached the bed, and grabbing the terrified priest he yelled: ”Go to the given address because that man is dying!”. Next the mysterious figure disappeared.
The clergyman realized that something supernatural had happened to him and he should not oppose to it. He hurried to the church for Viaticum and for the Anointing of the Sick and set out to help the sick.
The doctor’s wife was standing at the doorstep. “What brings you here at this time, Father?” she inquired anxiously. “Neither of us has called the priest, we are both atheists”, she added.
When the priest told the extraordinary story of his arrival, the doctor was so moved that he asked his wife to fetch the holy image from the next room. Fr. Adam recognized at once in the image, the bearded, elderly man who had forced him to come there.
Then the doctor’s voice broke with emotion and recalled his mum leaving this earthly life. That poignant moment she handed him the image of St. Joseph with the advice that he should throughout his life say the prayer to Saint Joseph for a happy death. “In spite of loosing faith in God to be faithful to the promise, I mechanically said this prayer. Now I see that St. Joseph did not let my soul die. I want to make a confession and reconcile with God.” said the sick doctor
Fr. Adam thanked God for the grace of providing spiritual comfort and the sacraments to the sick man, and left the apartment. As he was reaching the elevator the doctor’s wife came running up and cried out “Father, my husband is dying!”
In 1954, at the meeting of priests of the diocese of Przemyśl, Fr. Adam Sikora described this very well in his account of the events.
Paul Suski is based in Poland. He has a BA in English Language teaching, MA in Political Science, three children and wears a Carmelite scapular.