Pastor's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (11/25/2007)

Dear People of Holy Name,

The celebration of Communal Reconciliation with individual confession is a way of celebrating God’s forgiveness of our sin, while also recognizing its communal implications. Sin isn’t just between us and God; it is between us and all creation. What we do and don’t do, affects the relationship of all things physical and spiritual.

Here at Holy Name we have been celebrating communal reconciliation for many years during Advent and Lent. However, since we were celebrating general absolution without individual confession, we have not been in line with what the bishops desire for such celebrations. So we will need to cease the celebrations as we had them.

They were powerful and healing celebrations for many, but since the church requires individual confession, our former format will have to be discontinued. Those who need special help in accepting God’s forgiveness are welcome to come to individual confessions at our normal Saturday time.

We must remember our primary source of forgiveness is the Eucharist. When we celebrate the Liturgy, we are celebrating the forgiveness of our sins. Just as we believe Christ is truly present in the form of bread and wine, we must also believe in his love and forgiveness of our sins. It takes much faith to let go of our failures, trusting that God isn’t holding them against us. God is for us not against. When we receive the Lord we receive the forgiveness of our sins.

There are times in our lives where we may need direction or help in letting go of our sins through confession. This is something we do with our friends and it is something we can to with the Lord in the Sacrament of Penance. Preparing gives us an opportunity to reflect on our spiritual lives, where we are at, and where we are going or want to be going. It is a matter of assessing our relationship with God, others and ourselves, something that is good to do from time to time, perhaps even at the end of each day before we rest to begin another day in his honor.

Confession is not to be humiliating. Shame is not what the Lord is looking for. Reconciliation with our true selves and our real goodness is its goal. We make our confession to receive love and support and nothing short of that. God created us and loves us, and we should know that more than ever when we leave the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is a sacrament of healing.

When we confess, it is why we do what we do that is most important to recognize. For example, lets say I’m not the father I want to be for my children, and I confess not taking time for them, to know them and guide them in their development. That would be the actions of my sin, not taking time, but the real issue is, why don’t I take time?

Here is where a confessor may ask, “What was your relationship with your father like?” Such a question may allow a light bulb to go on in recognizing a need to heal from what I haven’t received, that I may give to my children the love my heart truly desires to give them. That is a moment of conversion that will lead to a change in my behavior. Otherwise I would simply beat myself up over my failure, and end up confessing the same thing year after year.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a tool in a journey and not an end in itself! God’s spirit lives in us and guides us, and in the Eucharist he shares his life with us, nourishing and strengthening us with his love and forgiveness. Reconciliation is for those times we may feel stuck or need more focus on an issue in our conversion.

Let us enter the coming Advent season with open hearts to the Spirit of God that entered Mary’s life, that this same Spirit may enter our lives and fill us with the fullness of God’s presence.

In Christ’s love, Fr. Leo