Reflection on Reconciliation

So, today, I completed another step on my journey into Catholicism. Reconciliation or Confession. When I first thought of going through this process, I asked Sister Mary why we had to do this. "To get it off your chest" She said simply. Then all the other surrounding questions came into play.

Does the Bible say we need to do this?
What gives the Priest the right to "absolve sins?"
How often do I need to do this?

Well, I shortly found the answers to my questions. I can list them on here, but I encourage you to look on your own and find them.

I walked into Sacred Heart and sat next to the Reconciliation room. I was completely nervous. I was about to tell another human the deepest secrets and the worst things I have been doing. But wait, I learned this. I was not speaking to a Priest. I was speaking to Christ. The Priest (In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was listening to me. I sat down, advised him I hadn't done this before. Then I left as if I had an out-of-body experience. It just flowed out of me.

I had written down what I wanted to confess, but my mind took over. I was connect to Jesus.

My heart stopped pounding. I stopped shaking. I talked for about 10 minutes. Reflecting on not only the sin, but the cause. I told him how I attempted to prevent certain sins. I was comfortable. In all the talking I did, he did not think deeply. He saw the problem. He said "First, you are obviously a candidate. Welcome to our Church. You are one your way to becoming a Catholic and you will see God's work amplified in your life. Keep saying the Hail Mary's when you feel the urge to sin, but also stay positive. Negativity can do great harm to us. Keep a positive frame of mind."

And that was it. I know and knew I had to stay positive. But of all the negative things that have happened, or keep happening, I have to remember, keep positive. It's hard sometimes, real hard. But it's the way to be. Keep smiling, keep your head up.

All and all, my thoughts were of this...it was very refreshing. Yes, it felt like I was sitting at a doctors office...more like a dentist office, about to do something I didn't want to...but deep inside did.

Here's the lesson. God wants us to repent. He wants us to live sin-free. When you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you are forgive of your sins. God, working through the Priest, absolves you. But it says in the Bible ,in James 5:15 - “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

Does God care if we sin? Of course. But he can not prevent it. He can only put in place the pieces for us to help ourselves not. When we confess ourselves to fellow man, we are putting it out there to another person, to whom subconsciously,  we have to hold ourselves up to the standards we asked to be set for ourselves.

All in all, it was very refreshing. I will obviouisly be going again, and I will be a little more prepared, and a little less nervous.

Take care my friends.
Geddy