Bishop Says: Get an Oil Change

July 22, 2009 by

And…

Weed your garden…
Clean out behind the couch…

No, Bishop Daniel Walsh of the Diocese of Santa Rosa is not advising that you do some chores, at least not literally. And, he’s not promoting some green initiative (c’mon, some of you were thinking this). He’s talking metaphorically about the need for confession in his newest column (.pdf)for the diocesan newspaper. He likens confession to an oil change for the soul and encourages his flock to go confess their sins more frequently.

Church renewal, I think, begins with more confessions. Encouragement of this sacrament by our bishops is a great trend.

Filed Under: Confession

On Conversion to God

February 11, 2009 by

Lent encourages us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and thus to know the fundamental truth:  who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what road to take in life. And thus, the Season of Lent offers us an ascetic and liturgical route which, while helping us to open our eyes to our weakness, opens our hearts to the merciful love of Christ. BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE, 1st March 2006.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The liturgical season of Lent is fast approaching. The Lord is giving us yet one more opportunity to work on ourselves, on our souls. For this, I thank Him!

As you are well aware we are living in a very tumultuous time; a time of financial distress, war, and a time in which radical politicians –and presidents–boldly undermine the sanctity of life. This time in which we live demands conversion, a radical turning away from sin to God. But unless we ourselves begin this conversion process, the world will continue getting worse and worse by the minute.

I warmly encourage each and everyone reading this post to take advantage of Lent, to make it the best Lent you ever had, the most spiritually fruitful. Let us enter into this holy season with a deep desire “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,” so that we “may be filled with all the fullnes of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Please realize that God has given us everything we need to experience the conversion of our own hearts and minds, if we but humbly accept His Divine Grace. Let us ask our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, to plead our cause before the Lord, to teach us how to be good sons and daughters of the Most High, to protect us from all harm. Let us also ask our Brothers and Sisters who dedicated their lives to the fulfilment of the Christian vocation, and who now enjoy the Beatific Vision, to come to our aid in times of temptation so that we may be strengthened and may come off unharmed after the battle. Finally, let us be mindful that, through Baptism, we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ, and so we all have the responsibility to look out for one another, especially for the poor (Philipians 2:4; Matthew 25:40). Let us, then, pray for one another during Lent!

Lenten Resources:

Filed Under: Baptism, Catholic, General, Confession, Devotions and Spirituality, Easter, Eucharist, Holidays, Liturgy and Worship, Mary, Blessed Virgin, Sacraments, Scripture

Be Holy

July 29, 2008 by

Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I (am) holy.” Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning (1 Peter 1:14-17).

We are called to be holy, that is, we are called to be conformed to the will of God, not to our desires or the desires of others. Jesus tells us to be “perfect,” as the Father is perfect. Suggesting that we are to be holy is certainly controversial in a society which encourages a person to do what feels good. In the selection above, Peter advises us not to “act in compliance with the desires of [our] former ignorance,” which is just about the exact opposite of “do what you feel.” However, the problem when speaking of holiness, is that we are all sinners, and when non-Christians (and even some Christians of the more liberal persuasion) hear our exhortations to holiness, it seems hypocritical. “How can he tell me to be holy, when he clearly has an anger problem!” While a person’s personal anger struggles are really inconsequential in determining anger’s rightness or wrongness, a lot of us don’t always think completely logically, and instead look at the behavior of the messenger. Thus, I think speaking of holiness, while essential, is often lost on a lot of people, because holiness is difficult (just look at the parable of the sower).

It is said that for discipline to be effective you need to have 5-10 “attaboys” for every “you screwed up.” I think this is something we need to remember when speaking of holiness. When we speak of holiness, the message of God’s grace must always be close behind. I remind my students that while Jesus calls us to be perfect, he also said that we are to forgive others “70 times 7″ times, and are not to “judge lest we be judged.” When speaking of holiness, or our striving to be holy, our sinfulness and total reliance upon grace should not be separated from our efforts to be holy, after all, Catholics don’t believe in works righteousness, but turning holiness entirely into social work or self-help seminars is works-righteousness.

I tell my students that being holy is like being in a boxing match. You will be knocked down a lot. Sin is pervasive. However, God will give you the grace to get up, to get to the sacrament of reconciliation if necessary, but you have to cooperate with that. It may seem pointless to continue to get knocked down, yet get up each time vowing to, with God’s help, do better, but that is the Christian option. The two problematic options are to a) pretend that you weren’t knocked down to begin with (i.e. denying that you have sinned or becoming oblivious to sin), and b) giving up and not getting up (i.e. not trying anymore). God is holy and merciful, and in our quests for holiness, it is only God’s grace that will even begin to get us there.

Filed Under: Catholic, General, Confession

Dreaming of Confession

April 2, 2008 by

reconcile01.jpg

Last night, I dreamed that I went to confession at the usual time before mass and it was incredible: the line was not only out the door, it was wound around the outside of the church! The pastor even had to call on two different priests to handle the number of penitents. My line, which seemed to never move, had a bunch of teenagers in it, one of whom even wanted to celebrate confession in Latin!

It was somewhat frustrating actually, since in my dream I was hoping to be confessed before mass and it obviously wasn’t going to happen. Still, when I woke up I thought about how wonderful this scenario would be in real life America: young and old waiting in line for over an hour just receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and it wasn’t even a penance service!

Filed Under: Catholic, General, Confession, Sacraments

Give Us 30 Minutes – A Rant, Part 1

December 30, 2007 by

In true George Lucas fashion, I opted to start my rant in the middle. Episode 2 came first…

Immediately preceeding my afternoon adventure of “Find a confessor” I had the following exchange with a friend on AIM:

HIM: Hey Merry Christmas a day or four late! Thinking about trying Sonic out, wanna go?
ME: Waiting for roomie to get home… I was going to go to Mass & confession at (Parish X) – u are welcome to join me if you like
HIM: what time is mass?
ME: 5
HIM: where is (Parish X)
ME: (Here)
HIM: That’s half a mile from Sonic…
ME: So that works then!
ME: Website says confession starts at 4pm, I wanna get there in time.
HIM: You wanna go to confession? Why?
HIM: how often do you go?
ME: once a week
ME: I started going weekly about 6 months ago, I feel better doing it.
HIM: dang you go once a week to confession
ME: before Mass
HIM: and what do you confess?
ME: my sins
HIM: what sins?
ME: Go to seminary and get ordained, I will tell you all about them.
ME: so far I have worked my way up and down the Ten Commandments, revisiting some favorites regularly
HIM: if you go to mass you confess there too, just silently
ME: that isn’t what the Catholic Church teaches – I am trying to go by the teachings
HIM: no when they say confess all your sins in silent
HIM: i just do that, y embarrass yourself?
ME: That is not sacramental confession, (Bob), no absolution is provided
HIM: I believe it is
ME: ask a priest or consult a catechism or website
HIM: nah. I think I am just going go to Sonic
HIM: and get something to eat
HIM: so chat with you later
ME: ok

No judgment is meant or intended on my friend. He is a good and generous person who simply is misinformed about what passes for confession and what does not. I know not the state of anyone’s soul or leaning, but on the surface of it, there appears to be no willful ignorance in the matter – 25+ years of Catholic life, with 9 years of Catholic grade school have left him thinking sincerely that this is correct.My afternoon misadventure trying to “get in the box” only underscores in my mind the serious problem we are having in some places. The stalwart sons of St. Dominic aside, locally I can’t tell you the last time I heard a sermon on the value, meaning or need of confession. The Dominicans, approach the subject with glorious and joyful temerity in the face of modern indifference.
They line the penitents up.
So long as people of good will think like my friend, and, in certain sectors we get nary a peep from the pulpit and have to play “Where’s Father?” (rather like “Where’s Waldo” but not as cool a hat – birettas aside) I am left to pontificate that problems will get worse before they get better.
Filed Under: Confession, Sacraments

Give Us 30 Minutes – A Rant, Part 2

December 29, 2007 by
“The confessional was empty”

True confession? I didn’t go to confession for over half a decade. I was too busy acting like a heathen. Trying to be less of a heathen, I try to go more. Simple sinners are as simple sinners do. We need it, pray for us.

I am without wheels of my own right now – long story… so I share a vehicle with a roomate… A vehicle he bought from me. I pay the insurance, I get to use it when he is at work.

Today he gets off work and gets home at 4:08. I am wanting to go to confession accross town to a great priest, but to not take up too much time (the roommate needs to go grocery shopping), I opt to go to the parish six blocks down. The website says confessions are heard at 4pm. This should work.

I get there at 4:18 – the kindly lady passing out missals informs me Father was done 5 minutes ago. “You have to get here right at four, he’s there about 15 minutes.”

In a suburban parish with three Masses and a parking lot 25% full at 4:20 for the 5pm Mass, confessions can be heard in thirteen minutes??? Maybe that is the parish I need to attend. They are so holy, apparently there isn’t much to confess… What little there is, takes one priest 13 minutes a week.

No problem, Saint Robert’s (named changed to protect the innocent) has confession half an hour before Mass – Mass is at 5pm. I can get there by 4:35 – I am good. I get there, I stand in line for 5 minutes only to find out, there is no priest in the confessional. There is no notice on the door. I hope Father is ok.

MAYBE I can make it to the Dominican parish. They hear it daily at noon until the last one is heard (a line for two confessors) and 1 hour before each Mass. Mass is at 5. I get there are 5:10, he is just leaving.

Go Dominicans. I should have come to you first.

Priests who read this blog (probably just Father J) is it that tough to sit and read a book for 30 minutes while waiting for a poor penitent? If you want, take a book while you are waiting for the prodigal sons. I am enjoying (then Cardinal) Ratzinger’s Without Roots if “People” is more your speed, that is fine. Bring your iPod™. If you are a smoker, go ahead and take an ash tray – it won’t bother me, I will be happy you are there.

Without the opportunities for confession there will be no saints. There will be no holy vocations to the priestly, religous and married life. To be a good priest, seminarian, sister, husband, wife, child, butcher, baker, candlestick maker, you need confession. Full stop.

Please be there. Give us 30 minutes.

Filed Under: Confession, Sacraments

Fr. Z’s 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession

September 12, 2007 by
St. Pio Hearing Confession

Fr. Z’s 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession

We should… 1) …examine our consciences regularly and thoroughly;

2) …wait our turn in line patiently;

3) …come at the time confessions are scheduled, not a few minutes before they are to end;

4) …speak distinctly but never so loudly that we might be overheard;

5) …state our sins clearly and briefly without rambling;

6) …confess all mortal sins in number and kind;

7) …listen carefully to the advice the priest gives;

8) …confess our own sins and not someone else’s;

9) …carefully listen to and remember the penance and be sure to understand it;

10) …use a regular formula for confession so that it is familiar and comfortable;

11) …never be afraid to say something “embarrassing”… just say it;

12) …never worry that the priest thinks we are jerks…. he is usually impressed by our courage;

13) …never fear that the priest will not keep our confession secret… he is bound by the Seal;

14) …never confess “tendencies” or “struggles”… just sins;

15) …never leave the confessional before the priest has finished giving absolution;

16) …memorize an Act of Contrition;

17) …answer the priest’s questions briefly if he asks for a clarification;

18) …ask questions if we can’t understand what he means when he tells us something;

19) …keep in mind that sometimes priests can have bad days just like we do;

20) …remember that priests must go to confession too … they know what we are going through.

Taken directly from Father Z’s Blog: What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Filed Under: Confession, Sacraments

I Confess!

September 10, 2007 by

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).


Admit it! You feel better when you go to confession.

I do.

In the last 20 years there has been a strong resurgence in catechesis on the Eucharist leading to much Eucharistic adoration and returning many to the practice of attending daily Mass – something that was once much more common. Marian devotion has also been on the rise – gloriously so.

But for many Catholics – and I have been one of them – the practice of regular or frequent confession has not been common. Many times I would think “I’ll get to it later.” Or Saturday would come and by the time I noticed the time – it was too late for me to make it to the set hour confessions were being heard.

What I didn’t really make a plan to do, I never really did much.

Many priests I have talked to have told me that this is something that they have noticed and it has bothered them. Many of them, being troubled by how few are coming during the set hour most parishes have, decided it was time to reconsider how this important source of grace and healing is presented. Many have expanded the hours they are heard, to include weekday – sometimes even daily – times for confession. More than a few parishes have montly times when multiple priests are brought in to aid in the administering of this important mystery.

And for good reason. See: Benefits of Frequent Confession

Take a gander at some of these articles, and see why this is something we might need to reconsider in our own lives.

The YouTube.com clip is the latest installment of That Catholic Show. I have linked to it before… If you haven’t watched any of them, take a few minutes. They are fun, funny, and informative. The presentation of the material in each episode is pretty well done, and at the end of each episode they include some of the out-takes. They look like they are really enjoying themselves while doing this!


Confession and Growth in Chastity

Some Difficulties in the Practice of Frequent Confession and Communion: Two Instructions Given in a Retreat

Filed Under: Confession, Sacraments