Weekly HOMILY for March 22, 2009: The Sacrament: Confession or Reconciliation?

4th Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Our Lady of Grace
March 22, 2009

The Sacrament: Confession or Reconciliation?


Toot ’n Tell

One day an older pastor was speaking with his young associate.

He said, “I know you were trying to reach out to the young people when you replaced the first four pews in the church with recliners. It worked and now the front of the church fills up first.”

The young priest nodded and the older priest continued. “Then, you brought that rock group in for our music and a lot of people liked that too.”

The young priest said, “Okay, so what do you seem bothered about?” The older pastor responded, “Well, I’m afraid you’ve gone too far with that drive-thru confessional.”

The young associate protested, “But my confessions have doubled since I began that.” The pastor replied, “I know, but the flashing neon sign announcing `Toot ’n Tell or Go to Hell’ has got to go.”


The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Today I want to reflect with you on the Sacrament that the “Toot ’n Tell” sign was all about.

In my lifetime, our understanding and practice of this Sacrament has changed quite a bit. This afternoon I want to compare this Sacrament as it was in the past with how it is today.

I have developed an outline for this and it is on the screens in front of our Worship Space. I ask you to pass these down so that everyone has a copy.

The Sacrament Itself

To begin, in the past, we referred to this Sacrament as Confession or the Sacrament of Penance. In effect, we were naming it by one of its parts – confessing our sins to a priest or receiving penance for our sins.

Today we call this the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The idea is that we now name the Sacrament by its core purpose – being reconciled or at peace with God, with each other, and even within ourselves.

Then, in the past, we referred to the place of the Sacrament as a Confessional. Today, we call it the Reconciliation Room – the place where Reconciliation is experienced and celebrated.

In the past, we would kneel on the other side of a screen from the priest and remain anonymous. Today, we can either kneel and remain anonymous, or sit and face the priest and this makes the experience more of a conversation and shared prayer.


The Sacrament: Our Experience

In the past, this Sacrament seemed rather cold and impersonal. Today, it is much warmer and interpersonal.

In the past, our primary feelings were anxiety, guilt, maybe embarrassment, and relief when it was over. Today our feelings can be responsibility, some appropriate guilt, and a sense of dignity and self-worth.

In the past, the experience was often negative – focusing only on the bad things. Today it is more positive, as we converse more on the context of my life in general and on my growing edges, on growing spiritually with the Lord.

In the past, we would almost always get a rote penance – like saying three Our Fathers. Today, the penance is much more appropriate to us as persons – like making some quality time just to be with your spouse.

In the past, the emphasis was a judging God and we often felt judged by the priest. Today, what comes across is a loving God who accepts us, loves us, and is with us on the journey.


The Sacrament: How Often

Finally, in the past we went to confession often. My parents trained me to go every two or three weeks – and I know, some of you are probably thinking that I needed it!

Today, we celebrate Reconciliation when it seems appropriate. This can be different for each one of us, and I see four times when Reconciliation can be appropriate.

First, Seasonally: It is wonderful to come to Reconciliation during the seasons of Advent or Lent.

Right now during Lent, this is a way of dying to self so as to live more fully for the Lord. It prepares us for the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter.

Second, for Significant Events: The Sacrament can be very appropriate before your wedding or the baptism of your baby or the funeral of a loved one.

These are significant personal or family events. They have a way of leading us closer to God and Reconciliation can be very helpful for this.

Third, Significant Moments: In all of our lives, there are moments of conversion.

Sometimes, these happen when we realize that we have been very lax and maybe responsible for some serious sin. Sometimes it is a moment when we think more deeply about life and want to be more intentional and focused on God.

And fourth, for Spiritual Growth: If we wish, we can utilize Reconciliation regularly as a way of staying on track and growing in the Lord.

The frequency is up to us. It could be several times a year, monthly, whatever.


Conclusion

I shared these ideas in a small group here several weeks ago and the response was so positive that I decided to share them with all of you this weekend.

I hope this is helpful and, by the way, please feel free to keep the handouts.