Tom Thomas –
“Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life. . . . If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.”
St Teresa of Avila
The Lenten season always seems to draw more than the regular numbers at the early morning Mass. This morning I was a few minutes late and rushing to enter the Church when I noticed a couple at the front steps to the church, by the side. They were hesitating to enter the Church, and finally they went away. This was playing in my mind throughout Mass, as I had been reading a book on the life-changing power of Confession by a Cardinal. “The Light is on for you.” (Published by ATC Publications, Rs 160/-)
“The Light is on for you.” This phrase is evocative of the light one keeps on at home, when a family member is expected back late. The light reassures the family member of the safety and comfort of an always welcoming home. It was a campaign by the Catholic Church in the US to draw Catholics back into the Confessional at the Lenten time. The Church worldwide is much the same way. The welcoming light of the tabernacle draws one into His presence, and the Mass is the summit of the experience of any Catholic. The mountaintop as described in the transfiguration experience in the Gospels ( Mk 9:2-13, Mt 17:1-13, Lk 9:28-36). Incidentally, the Holy Father Pope Francis’ Lenten message this year, released on 17th February 2023 is based on the transfiguration experience.
During the Lenten season, we are called to come back to Him through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We see a lot of emphasis on Confessions too, particularly at the time of the Holy Week, as a means of cleansing one self from one’s sins and coming back to Him. Each Church gives importance to this in the days before Holy Week, and there are ample opportunities for making a Confession. The mandate for a Catholic is to go to Confession at least once a year. But is that really enough for us?
Let us examine some perspectives on Confession from the Saints and others.
Most of the saints used to frequent Confession regularly. In fact, St Teresa of Avila, St Alphonsus Ligouri and St Frances de Sales, for example, in their writings, urge us to make a regular habit of Confession, with all three of them recommending weekly Confession.
Pope Francis goes for Confession once every two weeks, as he says “The Pope is also a sinner.” Mother Teresa used to go for Confession every week. Maybe we can’t go to Confession every week with the modern-day hectic schedules, but can we go say, every month? Of course, the frequency is not determined by a schedule but by the need.
So many times over the years, I have felt the need for a Confession, and there has never been an instance, when having approached a Priest, no matter how busy they are at that moment, that they have turned me away. “Wait a little while” might be the maximum request from them, and my Confession would be heard.
It is worth reading at the historical figures of St Fr Damian of Molokai and also the Commander of Auschwitz, Rudolph Hoss, and how Confession changed both their lives. One, a living Saint, Fr Damian, a priest living on an island in a leper colony wanted to have a Confession done so badly, that when a visiting ship carrying a Priest could not alight at the island due to quarantine matters, Fr Damian came near the boat and shouted out his sins, across the water to Confess and asked for absolution, so great was his need for confession. The other who had personally overseen the execution of millions of Jews, had a last-minute conversion, returned to his Catholic Faith and made a full confession going to the gallows peacefully. “I have inflicted terrible wounds on humanity. I have caused unspeakable suffering for the Polish people in particular. I am to pay for this with my life. May the Lord God forgive one day what I have done. It has been a hard struggle, but I have again found my faith in my God” – Rudolph Hoss’ last words.
I was thinking of all this as the Mass ended. The couple at the footsteps of the Church, had gone away without entering. I don’t know what was the reason. Were they hesitating because it had been a long time since they visited? We must all know for a fact that the Light is always on for all of us. No matter what the past is, or how long we have been away from the sacrament of confession, we can come back to Him. The Priest is always ready to heal our souls through the sacrament of Confession. Let us take the first step and return to the Light. Not only at the time of Lent, but throughout the year.
“One might say: I confess only to God. Yes, you can say to God “forgive me” and say your sins, but our sins are also committed against the brethren, and against the Church. That is why it is necessary to ask pardon of the Church, and of the brethren in the person of the priest. “But Father, I am ashamed …”. Shame is also good, it is healthy to feel a little shame, because being ashamed is salutary. In my country when a person feels no shame, we say that he is “shameless”; a “sin verguenza”. But shame too does good, because it makes us more humble, and the priest receives this confession with love and tenderness and forgives us on God’s behalf. Also from a human point of view, in order to unburden oneself, it is good to talk with a brother and tell the priest these things which are weighing so much on my heart. And one feels that one is unburdening oneself before God, with the Church, with his brother. Do not be afraid of Confession! When one is in line to go to Confession, one feels all these things, even shame, but then when one finishes Confession one leaves free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, happy. This is the beauty of Confession! I would like to ask you — but don’t say it aloud, everyone respond in his heart: when was the last time you made your confession? Everyone think about it … Two days, two weeks, two years, twenty years, forty years? Everyone count, everyone say ‘when was the last time I went to confession?’. And if much time has passed, do not lose another day. Go, the priest will be good. Jesus is there, and Jesus is more benevolent than priests, Jesus receives you, he receives you with so much love. Be courageous and go to Confession!” — Pope Francis, General Audience 19th February, 2014, St Peter’s Square