10 Reasons to go to Confession . . .

Thanks to the link from The Anchoress on Twitter for this blog post by Sr Mary Ann Walsh on Confession.

Amongst Sr Mary's ten reasons for going to Confession she includes; housekeeping for the soul, a balm for the desire for revenge, and free therapy!

Something that struck me as being particularly helpful was 'forced time to think'.

I find that making time for a good Examination of Conscience before I go to Confession is critical in making a good Confession and 'making the most of' the Sacrament. Not that I'm saying I always manage to achieve this but I try, and as in so many things, I find that the better the preparation, the better the result and when I've rushed the preparation, I'm not usually very satisfied with the end product.

There are innumerable resources 'out there' to help us with Confession but I think there's always room for another.

Taking things for granted . . .

It's early Sunday evening and I've just been catching up on what's going on in the blogosphere which is one of my favourite ways of relaxing at the end of the weekend.

I try not to take anything for granted and I do appreciate how fortunate we are to have a comfortable home, loving children, employment etc. etc. but it has never really occurred to me quite how fortunate we are with our parish. There is a theme underlying some blogs of discontentment, of a yearning for certain things that are apparently not readily available to all.

I had not realised that it is fairly unusual to have regular Rosary and Benediction, for example, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament several days a week and frequent Confession. Is it really very unusual, I wonder, or are those blogs that I've been looking at describing some sort of minority ghetto where such devotions are not practised?

I thought everyone was encouraged to go to Confession regularly and have reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe I've just been taking things for granted after all. At Mass tomorrow, during the silence after Holy Communion (which I gather is not kept universally) I will try and remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive as members of our parish where everything possible is done to encourage us in our spiritual development. Thanks of course to our parish priest.

A cause for celebration . . .

I'm celebrating! This is where you ask me what I'm celebrating . . .

I'm celebrating that split-second of time after receiving Absolution when I was actually in a State of Grace. That infinitesimally small period of time when I was actually reconciled to God. Isn't Confession a marvellous Sacrament?

Of course, I'm sure we've all felt that feeling of the weight of sin being lifted from our shoulders and the sensation of 'floating on air' for a while. Sadly, it's all too short a period of time for me. But just for an instant, it's the most marvellous feeling in the world.

I don't know about you but sometimes this is more palpable than others and as today was one of those time, I felt moved to celebrate.

That's all I wanted to say. Back to normal now.

Update:

As Berenike has correctly pointed out, I am guilty of quite a large chunk of poetic licence here.

Obviously I should not have used the term being in a state of grace when really what I meant was being without sin of any kind. Reading my post again, it does make it sound as if I routinely leave the Confessional and almost immediately fall into mortal sin! I was trying to express in my inadequate way the feeling which comes with absolution; that feeling of having wiped the slate clean, of being completely without sin of any kind, even the smallest venial sin. A fantastic feeling, even if poorly expressed.

Have you been shriven yet?

Have you been shriven yet? Ever since I first learned about the origins of the term 'Shrove Tuesday' I have difficulty in not smiling when I think about it. It's not that there's anything particularly amusing about the meaning of the word, to have your sins forgiven; it's just the word itself. It always makes me think of that film, 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' I can just hear, 'Honey, I've shriven the kids'. It sounds as if it has something to do with shrinking.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. In common with many parishes, we usually have a penitential service in Lent to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and it is usually well attended too. Most years this happens towards the end of Lent so that we are ready for the Great Feast of Easter. (Less time for backsliders like me to get into serious trouble again!)

Thinking again of the origins of Shrove Tuesday, I wonder whether people were expected to go to Confession again before Easter (6 weeks is a long time to avoid sin!) or whether they were just inspired to try extra hard during Lent having started with 'a clean slate' so to speak after being shriven before Ash Wednesday.

Or maybe, it was placed at this time because of the excesses of Mardi Gras!

Of course in this country, we don't have the tradition of Carnival or Mardi Gras in the same way as they have in some parts of Europe or Rio. Shrove Tuesday in the UK is very tame in comparison - after all what is wildly excessive about eating a few pancakes!!

Mind you, after a few pancakes and finishing off all the chocolates before Ash Wednesday I can see why it's called Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)!

Preparations . . .

Advent is amongst other things, a time of preparation; a chance for us to examine our lives and make ourselves ready (or as ready as we possibly can be) to greet Our Lord on the wonderful Feast of the Nativity.

Of course there is a lot to be done to prepare spiritually. Around this time in our parish, and in many others, we have a Service of Reconciliation with an opportunity for Confession. These services are generally well attended and a great help in getting us into the proper frame of mind for Christmas.

More on the spiritual preparations later, when Advent begins on Sunday. . .

In our house, preparation also involves preparing for Advent by going into our loft and searching out all the materials for our Advent wreath. Generally Number One Son helps out here. Only when I’ve sorted through the boxes and bags and re-discovered the candles, the oasis ring and a few decorations to augment the greenery do I allow myself to even contemplate the Christmas Season.

Anyone who’s been following my musings for a while will remember my difficulty with obtaining pink candles last year. Secure in the knowledge that I now have enough to last several years (!) I shall have an enjoyable stroll around our little garden at the weekend, secateurs in hand, to collect greenery for the wreath and enjoy putting it together in time to light the first candle on Sunday. Pictures to follow, I hope.

iConfess . . .

Thanks to Mary for posting this video. No offence intended - I'm sure there are many, many priests out there who can skip the light fandango with the best of them! Besides, that's not the point, is it? The message is in the punchline. It made me smile so hope you do too.