As Lent approaches the topic of Confession is
talked about more frequently.
During Lent we are called to repentance, hence the
purple color associated with the season. For 40 days we have the
opportunity to really dig deeply into ourselves and weed out the weak areas and
try harder to work on the side of us that is truly approaching life as Christ
has taught us.
Confession is a sore spot for many people. Maybe
you've had a bad experience; a priest who was less than kind, or was in a
hurry. Maybe you've sinned big time and are too embarrassed to admit it,
or maybe it's been a while and you don't remember what to do.
Whether you've grown up with it, learned about it and experienced it when
you came into the Church in adulthood, or are a Christian who has only heard it
talked about by friends who are Catholic, there is so much mystery surrounding
it that it becomes a scary thing.
I've heard two talks on Confession in the past two
weeks. I'm grateful that nothing in the talks was new to me. While
I may not be as eloquent as the speakers I've listen to, I'll give it a go and
try to do some explaining.
The biggest question out there is "why go to
confession?" The answer is, "Jesus said so."
On the evening of that first day of the week, (Easter Sunday)
when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After
he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
21Again
Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending
you.” 22And
with that he breathed on them and said,“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not
forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20: 19-23 parentheses and
coloring mine.)
Two things about these
verses: 1) "He breathed on them" is a reference back to Genesis
when God created man: 7the LORD God formed the man from
the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and
the man became a living being. (Genesis 1:7). (A new
creation.)
By breathing
the Holy Spirit into the disciples, Christ is making them a new creation.
They will no longer be the scared, hide behind closed doors, guys they
were. They will go into the world and teach about Christ.
2) 23If you forgive
anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.” Why would Christ give the disciples this gift if He did not
anticipate them using it? He knew that people would come to the disciples
and confess their sins and seek forgiveness. That was a huge part of the
ministry of Christ and it needed to be carried on in the Church Christ
established.
To be continued . . .
