CONFESSION ANYONE?

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I believe in monthly confession. To a priest. I just do. I know some people go straight upstairs through their own private prayer...but not me. It's been my experience that when I have to take a personal inventory and then tell someone what I keep doing wrong, that I am more likely to change my bad habits...First out of embarrassment...then because I honestly want to be a better person. Plus there's the heavenly absolution from the blessed hands of a priest.

Last month I admitted it's a little unnerving hearing myself continuing to repeat the same sins over and over again. Sins like pettiness or gossip, judgement or jaundiced attitudes. The priest, Fr. Joe Benson, an extremely gifted confessor smiled and assured me, "Actually, it's an act of humility to keep coming back and acknowledging the same sins."

I'd never thought of it that way. In fact, in the not so distant past, I grew so accustomed to my mistakes that they became second nature...and all too easy to ignore-and so I did. As usual Father Benson's encouraging words shifted the focus from failing miserably to the inspiring possibility of success.

He always says exactly what I need to hear. In fact, he told me that we are all "addicted to sin." I'd never thought of it that way. We just keep on repeating the same mistakes-because bad habits are hard to break and too easy to justify. The problem is-they always catch up with us...wear us down and leave us wilting...like a flower that's been scorched by the hot sun.

That's why I head to Blessed Seelos Parish every first Friday night with the rest of the crowd to confess to a modern day Padre Pio...who has this uncanny ability to read souls and still see the sunny side of our humanity.

Last Friday I told Fr. Benson I thought God was trying to make me holier than I think that I can be. He smiled again..."That's piety." Then he gave me an assignment which I'd like to pass on to everyone...Romans 12:2 "Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect."

Comments

Anonymous said…
i went to church today looking for yet another miricle and found one!
December 23, 2010
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