The Sacrament of Confession

Finding true healing, God's way.

The first time I went to confession with a priest I was terrified, almost shaking in fear. I knew that I was really confessing to Jesus and that the priest was only his representative, but the priest was still a real person and I could hardly imagine confessing these deep dark things about myself out loud to him. Yet, I went for it—feeling like a man jumping over a cliff. I’m glad I did. When I had finished he absolved me of my sins and I felt incredible—as though I could leap small buildings in a single bound. The experience changed my life. I now go to confession once a month and it has probably been the most healing practice that I have every participated in.

If you are anything like me, the church that you grew up in did not offer the Sacrament of Confession, and you’re probably wondering, where is that in the Bible? Jesus gave his power to forgive sins to the leaders of the church by saying to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:22-23). Yet, how could they know which sins to forgive or not to forgive unless the sins were confessed? This is no different than going to a doctor who must see your wound in order to heal you. Regular confession and forgiveness of sins has been a normal part of church life since the beginning. James wrote that if you are sick, either physically or spiritually, you should go to the priest (elder) and confess your sins so that you may be healed (5:14-16).

How often should you go to confession? In the year 1215 all of the leaders of the church gathered together to discuss this and other issues and decreed that at a minimum the faithful should go to confession with the local parish priest or with permission, another priest, no less than once a year, though confession is recommended once a month or more.

The Sacrament of confession is an incredible opportunity, a place where you can freely confess all of your sins without fear since the priest is required by canon law to hold fast to the seal of the confessional. He can share your sins with no one. Sacramental confession is a completely safe—a place to find healing and wholeness. There is nothing you can share that will surprise the priest. He will love you no matter what.

So, feel free to grab me on Sunday mornings between 8 and 8:30 a.m. to hear your confession, or feel free to make an appointment for another time. See you then.

Yours,
Father Philip

P.S. Learn more about confession by going to our website and listening to a talk I recently gave here.

A Simple Examination of Conscience in Preparation for Confession

When was my last good confession? Did I receive Communion or other sacraments while in the state of mortal sin? Did I intentionally fail to confess some mortal sin in my previous confession?

Did I willfully and seriously doubt my faith, or put myself in danger of losing it by reading literature hostile to Christian teaching or by getting involved with non-Christian sects? Did I engage in superstitious activities, such as palm-reading, and fortune-telling?

Did I take the name of God in vain? Did I curse or take a false oath? Did I use bad language?

Did I miss church on Sunday or a holy day of obligation through my own fault, without any serious reason? Did I fast and abstain on the prescribed days?

Did I disobey my parents or lawful superiors in important matters?

Was I selfish in how I treated others, especially my spouse, my brothers and sisters, my relatives, or my friends? Did I hatefully quarrel with anyone or desire revenge? Did I refuse to forgive? Did I cause physical injury or death? Did I get drunk? Did I take illicit drugs? Did I consent to advise someone about, or actively take part in an abortion?

Did I willfully look at indecent pictures or watch immoral movies? Did I read immoral books or magazines? Did I engage in impure jokes or conversations? Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or feelings? Did I commit impure acts, alone or with others?

Did I steal or damage another’s property? How much was it worth? Have I made reparation for the damages done? Have I been honest in my business relations?

Did I tell lies? Did I sin by slander? By detraction—telling unknown grave faults of others without necessity? Did I judge others rashly in serious matters? Have I tried to make restitution for any damage of reputation that I have caused

If you remember other serious sins beside those indicated here, include them also in your confession

St. Laurence

In the persecutions under Valerian in 258, numerous priests and deacons were put to death, while Christians belonging to the nobility or the Roman Senate were deprived of their goods and exiled. Saint Lawrence was one of seven deacons who were in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. Under the Valerian persecution, Pope St. Sixtus was one of the first condemned to death and martyred on Aug 6th. As he was led to execution, Lawrence followed him weeping, "Father, where are you going without your deacon?" he said. "I am not leaving you, my son," answered the Pope. "in three days you will follow me." Full of joy, Lawrence gave to the poor the rest of the money he had on hand and even sold expensive vessels to have more to give away.

The Prefect of Rome, a greedy pagan, thought the Church had a great fortune hidden away. St. Lawrence was brought before Cornelius Secularis, prefect of Rome under the Emperor Valerian, who, according to Dom Prosper Guéranger in his Liturgical Year, "aimed at ruining the Christians by prohibiting their assemblies, putting their chief men to death, and confiscating their property." It was for this reason that St. Lawrence, the archdeacon for Pope St. Sixtus II, was summoned to the tribunal of Cornelius, who sought the riches of the Church of Rome. It was the duty of the archdeacon to care for these treasures. St. Lawrence asked for a short delay, so he could gather these riches for the prefect. When the archdeacon returned three days later, instead of bringing vessels of gold and silver, he brought the poor of the city, saying, "Behold, these choice pearls, these sparkling gems that adorn the temple, these sacred virgins, I mean, and these widows who refuse second marriage.... Behold then, all our riches." In response to his boldness, Cornelius was enraged and ordered the scourging and torture of St. Lawrence upon the rack. The following is also taken from Dom Guéranger's entry for the feast of St. Lawrence in Volume XIII of his Liturgical Year.)

"...Laurence was taken down from the rack about midday. In his prison, however, he took no rest, but wounded and bleeding as he was, he baptized the converts won to Christ by the sight of his courageous suffering. He confirmed their faith, and fired their souls with a martyr's intrepidity. When the evening hour summoned Rome to its pleasures, the prefect recalled the executioners to their work, for a few hours' rest had sufficiently restored their energy to enable them to satisfy his cruelty."

"Surrounded by this ill-favoured company, the prefect thus addressed the valiant deacon: 'Sacrifice to the gods, or else the whole night long shall be witness of your torments.' 'My night has no darkness,' answered Laurence, 'and all things are full of light to me.' They struck him on the mouth with stone, but he smiled and said, 'I give Thee thanks, O Christ.'"

"Then an iron bed or gridiron with three bars was brought in and the saint was stripped of his garments and extended upon it while burning coals were placed beneath it. As they were holding him down with iron fork, Laurence said 'I offer myself as a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness.' The executioners continually stirred up the fire and brought fresh coals, while they still held him down with their forks. Then the saint said: 'Learn, unhappy man, how great is the power of my God; for your burning coals give me refreshment, but they will be your eternal punishment. I call Thee, O Lord, to witness: when I was accused, I did not deny Thee; when I was questioned, I confessed Thee, O Christ; on the red-hot coals I gave Thee thanks.' And with his countenance radiant with heavenly beauty, he continued: 'Yea, I give Thee thanks, O Lord Jesus Christ, for that Thou hast deigned to strengthen me.' He then raised his eyes to his judge, and said: 'See, this side is well roasted; turn me on the other and eat.' Then, continuing his canticle of praise to God [he said]: 'I give Thee thanks, O Lord, that I have merited to enter into Thy dwelling place.'"

"As he was on the point of death, he remembered the Church. The thought of the eternal Rome gave him fresh strength, and he breathed forth this ecstatic prayer: 'O Christ, only God, O Splendour, O Power of the Father, O Maker of heaven and earth and builder of this city's walls! Thou has placed Rome's scepter high over all; Thou hast willed to subject the world to it, in order to unite under one law the nations which differ in manners, customs, language, genius, and sacrifice. Behold the whole human race has submitted to its empire, and all discord and dissensions disappear in its unity. Remember thy purpose: Thou didst will to bind the immense universe together into one Christian Kingdom. O Christ, for the sake of Thy Romans, make this city Christian; for to it Thou gavest the charge of leading all the rest to sacred unity. All its members in every place are united - a very type of Thy Kingdom; the conquered universe has bowed before it. Oh! may its royal head bowed in turn! Send Thy Gabriel and bid him heal the blindness of the sons of Iulus, that they may know the true God. I see a prince who is to come - an Emperor who is a servant of God. He will not suffer Rome to remain a slave; he will close the temples and fasten them with bolts forever.'"

"Thus he prayed, and with these last words, he breathed forth his soul. Some noble Romans who had been conquered to Christ by the martyr's admirable boldness, removed his body: the love of the most high God had suddenly filled their hearts and dispelled their former errors. From that day, the worship of the infamous gods grew cold; few people went now to the temples, but hastened to the altars of Christ. Thus Laurence, going unarmed to the battle, had wounded the enemy with his own sword."

St Lawrence was burning with so much love of God that he almost did not feel the flames. In fact, God gave him so much strength and joy that he even joked. "Turn me over," he said to the judge. "I'm done on this side!" And just before he died, he said, "It's cooked enough now." Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. After that, he went to receive the martyr's reward. Saint Lawrence's feast day is August 10th.

(also based from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=366 based on narrations by St Ambrose and Prudentius, Butler's Lives of the Saints)
On this day, the reliquary containing his burnt head is displayed in the Vatican for veneration.

According to lore, among the treasure of the Roman church entrusted to Lawrence for safe-keeping was the Holy Chalice, the cup from which Jesus and the Apostles drank at the Last Supper. Lawrence was able to spirit this away to Huesca, in present day Aragon, with a letter and a supposed inventory, where it lay hidden and unregarded for centuries. When Augustine connects Lawrence with a chalice, it is the chalice of the Mass: "For in that Church, you see, as you have regularly been told, he performed the office of deacon; it was there that he administered the sacred chalice of Christ's blood".

According to Christian history the Holy Grail is a relic that was sent by St. Lawrence to his parents in northern Aragon. He entrusted this sacred chalice to a friend whom he knew would travel back to Huesca, remaining in the monastery of Saint John of Pena, core of spiritual strength for the emerging kingdom of Aragon. While the Holy Chalice's exact journey through the centuries is disputed, it is generally accepted by Catholics that the Chalice was sent by his family to this monastery for preservation and veneration. Historical records indicate that this chalice has been venerated and preserved by a number of monks and monasteries through the ages. Today the Holy Grail is venerated in a special chapel in the Catholic Cathedral of Valencia, Spain.

O Almighty God,
Who didst give unto Blessed Lawrence power
to be more than conqueror in his fiery torment;
grant unto us, we beseech thee,
the power to quench the flames of our sinful lusts.
Through Jesus Christ, etc.
Amen

St Lawrence, we pray together with you to our Lord Jesus Christ that we may learn to Love with the greatest of Love which is to Sacrifice all that one has and is, as Christ on the Cross, our Redeemer and Supreme Example.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." Jn 15:13

With Faith like this who needs anything else. Let us pray for Faith, the martyrs have died not for a heavenly thought and probability, but for a surreal, incomprehensible and supernatural reality. Heaven is a real eternal bliss, and so is the opposite, therefore walk the narrow path even if they want to destroy you, fearing not and remembering that no man and no demon can harm the soul if it has already been given away to God completely.

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