Christ has given us a way by which he can touch us with his saving power. This happens through the holy Sacrament of Penance, or in other words, the Sacrament of Confession. Unfortunately, I must state that we do not accept this mystery as often as we should. Perhaps the reason is a misunderstanding of the essence of this secret. On the other hand, it may be the result of a bad or incorrect study of the catechism in the past and now. It is this area in our church - training and restoration of the flock - that requires a lot of work from the priests.
We call it the mystery of forgiveness and healing, perhaps the word "confession" gave a negative connotation to the meaning of this mystery. We should probably call it the appropriate name: "The Secret of Repentance."
The best meaning of this mystery is revealed in the parable of the Prodigal Son, when we see a father welcoming his son with open arms. She welcomes, forgives and heals with joy. The question is not what we do, but what Christ does for us. Saint John the Baptist wrote: "Let us give ourselves to the restorative healing of repentance: let us accept from the Lord the secret of repentance, which HEALS us. Because in fact we do not offer it to God, but He bestows it on us." Note that Ivan Zlatoust emphasizes the word "heals".
Yes, in this Mystery, Christ lifts us up from the bottom to which we may have fallen. Also, it is important to remember that Christ is the Divine Healer who heals what is sick or damaged in us. The Holy Mysteries are medicine. The Divine Healer takes on a heavy burden. This is where He renews us.
So this Sacrament is more than just forgiveness. It is a place where we can open the wounds of our soul. We come to Christ - the hope of the hopeless.
Unfortunately, our Church does not actively teach our faithful about the importance of receiving the Holy Mysteries often. This is not some "obligation" once a year. Why should it be a duty to come to the Divine Healer once a year? This is absolutely wrong. Secret repentance is something more than 3-5 memorized sentences about committed sins from the mouths of confessors who line up in long lines to fulfill their "Easter" duty. It seems to me that the work in this area of the spiritual life of our church must be seriously reviewed. After all, central to the life of every Christian is the holy sacrament of Christ's body and blood.
+o. Thomas Glynn
