Our Church celebrates seven sacraments, some once, others a few times, and still others quite often. When we remodeled the church, the windows were repositioned, beginning with the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. Then we have the sacraments of vocations: matrimony and Holy Orders. The last two are sacraments of healing: anointing of the sick and reconciliation, which as you can see, points to the reconciliation room in case you’ve wondered where it is.
As a child I recall long lines outside the confessionals as they were called back then prior to Vatican II. Since then, many Catholics have rarely celebrated this sacrament. Face it, no one likes to be reminded of the errors of their ways, but as these readings make clear, there are times when we need to be reminded, redirected, and reconciled.
Reflecting on those who scoff at the value of this sacrament, Pope John Paul I shares the story of Jonathan Swift’s servant. After spending the night at an inn, Swift asked for his boots in the morning and saw that they were dusty. “Why didn’t you clean them?” he asked. “I thought there was no point,” the servant said. “After a few miles on the road, they would be covered in dust again, whatever I do.” “Quite right,” Swift replied, “Now get the horses ready; we’re leaving.”
Soon afterwards, the horses came out of the stable and Swift was ready for the journey. “But, sir, we can’t leave without breakfast!” cried the servant. “There is no point,” Swift said, “After a few miles on the road, you’ll be hungry again!”
The pope noted, “After confession, the soul will grow dirty again, people say. Very likely. But to keep it clean in the meantime can’t fail to be a good idea. Not only because confession takes away the dust of sin, but because it gives us a special strength to avoid it, and makes firmer our friendship with God.”
Remembered fondly as the smiling pope by many, Pope John Paul I offers us sound advice with his illustration. We have been blessed with a sacrament that is neglected by many for any number of reasons. Perhaps, you have a negative memory of a harsh and reprimanding confessor in the distant past or you see no need to bare your soul to another person.
Like any sacrament, reconciliation has its origins in scripture. In dealing with grievances that are bound to arise as they do in any community, Jesus tells his apostles, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.” With these words, Jesus extended to them and their successors, namely future generations of priests, the power to forgive sins through absolution. A confessor can extend a tangible verbal gesture that the sinner is welcomed back into the community.
The Church is a community of those who believe in the message of Jesus Christ. What Jesus is saying here is that those who refuse to listen to the Church and heeds its teachings no longer belong to the community. In the early Church, anyone who committed a truly grave sin was literally ostracized from participating in the Mass until the prescribed penance was carried out, which allowed that person to be reconciled with the community. The obstinate sinner was considered an outsider until the bishop offered absolution as a sign of forgiveness by God and the community. Even in the first century, sinners were advised, “You shall confess your offenses in church, and shall not come forward to your prayer with a bad conscience.”
God has always seen the need to correct us sinners. Ezekiel was told to warn the house of Israel of their infidelity. The times are no different today. Bishops and priests often challenge their congregations by reminding them of the reality of sin in our midst to the point that we might sound like broken records, yet the bottom line is this: one of us are sinless for long. Like Jonathan Swift’s boots that got dusty again, we are apt to sin sooner than we care to admit even to ourselves, much less to a confessor, but as I noted last week, anytime we sin, someone is bound to be hurt. Sin isn’t about violating laws as it is about violating relationships with ourselves, God and others. That is why Jesus often pointed out the need for reconciliation and Paul stressed that love is the antidote for sin and the motivation behind forgiveness and reconciliation.
Any responsible parent can understand where Ezekiel, Paul, and Jesus are coming from. The love that Paul speaks of is not a puppy love or affection. This love is a matter of the will, not the heart. What matters is what we want, and ideally we want what is best for our neighbor, just as parents want what is best for their children. Jesus models well the love that Paul has in mind; he acted out of love in all that he said and did. His was a love that could warn and admonish as well as comfort and console. His love could teach and challenge as well as listen and give itself freely for the good of others. In short, Jesus’ love is act, not sentiment, and that is what he calls for in his followers. He tells us to confront the faults of others, that is, the evil in our midst, but when we do, we must act out of love and with love.
We call this a sacrament of healing for good reason. Whenever I celebrate this sacrament as a penitent, I go because I’m hurting. My sin has distanced me from experiencing the fullness of God’s grace and love. I venture into this sacrament, not expecting to be harshly reprimanded but to be healed by words of love from a caring confessor that may enable me to grow closer yet to God. Often he speaks words of wisdom as a penance is prescribed. Best of all, his words of absolution are music to my ears, assuring me that my sin has been “loosed in heaven.” Reconciled with God and with the Church, I’m at peace with myself, knowing that like the prodigal son, I’m back home again.