Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
MONDAY, August 2nd Mt. 14: 13-21 When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and He cured their sick.”
- This is the prelude to the miracle of the Multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Notice two movements of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
- First, Jesus went to a deserted place to grieve over the death of John the Baptist, who was His cousin, as well as His precursor: “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn. 1:26-27)
- Second, when Jesus saw the crowd, His heart was moved pity for them and He cured their sick. Jesus’ Heart is moved with pity for us as well, for our physical infirmities, but especially our spiritual infirmities!
- It is one thing to have physical infirmities, and even die of them. If we accept them as God’s permissive will and offer them for the salvation of our soul, as well as the souls of family members and others, we gain more in eternal life that what we lose in this life! We have greater sanctity and honor in heaven for docility to God’s will and the souls we helped save that otherwise might have been lost for all eternity!
- However, if we suffer the spiritual infirmity of living in a state of mortal sin, and do nothing to save ourselves, possibly even taking others with us by our bad example, we risk eternal damnation. Jesus said. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mt. 10:28)
- Here is a question and a proposed answer. Why do Catholics stop going to Mass? They may give many reasons or no reason, but a reasonable and likely answer is that they are violating one or more of the commandments and have not gone to Confession for a long time.
- Perhaps we could prayerfully consider approaching family members and friends who are away from the Sacraments, and simply ask if they would consider returning to the Sacraments, starting with making a good Confession, and then receiving Jesus again in Holy Communion. For He is loving and merciful and desires you to come home to Him.
- Then ask them to at least read this consoling article by Fr. Ed and give them a copy.
TEN WAYS CONFESSION SETS US FREE! By Father Ed Broom, OMV
Sadness, confusion, disorientation, darkness, anger, and often bitterness—all of these words describe the soul living in the state of mortal sin. In fact, Jesus says that sin is slavery. (cf Jn. 8:34)
FILM: THE MISSION AND AN IMAGE OF SIN
In the film The Mission one character, portrayed by Robert De Niro, for murdering his brother is given the penance by a Jesuit priest of carrying with him a cumbersome ball of his possessions. Wherever this man who committed fratricide goes, he has to drag with him on a rope this truly burdensome baggage. After having carried out this penance for days, even climbing a mountain with it, falling down and rising again, the priest agrees that he has done sufficient penance. The priest draws close to the sinner and with a sharp knife cuts and severs the rope tied to the baggage and it cascades all the way down to the bottom of the mountain—freedom!
This slice from the film The Mission displays in one graphic scene a powerful image of what sin is like in our lives, but also the powerful effect in the soul of the sinner who repents and turns back to God through a good sacramental Confession. One of the effects of sin is a binding slavery that is like carrying a heavy weight wherever we go. The weight becomes heavier and heavier, almost to the point of being unsupportable. But then comes the transforming moment—a good sacramental Confession. By making this well-prepared, honest, and sincere Confession the bonds of sin are broken, split asunder, and freedom is experienced—the freedom of the sons and daughters of God!
THERE IS MORE MERCY IN CHRIST THAN SIN IN US!
MERCY & CONFESSION
Pope Saint John Paul II, Saint Faustina Kowalska, as well as the Angelic Doctor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, unanimously agree that mercy is the greatest attribute in the Heart of Jesus the Savior. Mercy is God’s infinite love forgiving the sinner.
There has been abundant catechesis on how to prepare for Confession, booklets on the Ten Commandments, as well as books written on the Sacrament of Confession. However, possibly not enough has been said on the many wonderful effects that are produced in the person who makes a good Confession.
This short article will focus on ten wonderful and uplifting effects that are produced in the soul of a good penitent.
1. HEALING
The specific sacramental grace of the Sacrament of Confession is healing. Jesus is the Divine Physician. Sin wounds the soul! What cancer, leprosy, and disease is to the body, sin is to the soul. Every time we make a good Confession, Jesus, the Divine Physician, with His gentle, tender, and loving Hand touches our soul, pours out His Precious Blood, and there is a healing. During His public life, Jesus healed the blind, deaf, mutes, paralytics, lepers, and even raised the dead. Still now, through His Mystical Body the Church, Jesus continues to heal His sick members through the priests in the confessional. It is true that Jesus saves us and heals us! Right now Jesus wants to heal your moral wounds!
2. FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY
As mentioned above in the scene from the movie The Mission, sin is interior slavery. Confession reverses the slavery and communicates true freedom—the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. To break the bonds of our past bad habits, our powerful addictions, our bad impulses and actions, we need a powerful remedy. That remedy is direct contact with the Blood of Jesus, poured forth on Calvary that first Good Friday, and now applied to every soul who makes a good Confession. Instinctively we appall physical slavery and all that this entails. Should we not have an even greater abhorrence and repugnance for the interior slavery of sin and seek freedom as soon as possible? Why not try Confession!
3. FROM CONFUSION TO PEACE
Another negative effect of living in sin is a lack of peace and living in a state of constant confusion. Saint Augustine defines peace as “the tranquility of order.” Sin is total disorder—the tower of Babel within. A good Confession results in putting into practice the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola as one of the purposes of the Spiritual Exercises, “To order the disordered.” Therefore, if you really want to experience a profound peace in the depths of your soul, why not try to make the best Confession in your life? Your disorder will give way to order, and peace will follow!
4. FREEDOM FROM A CONSCIENCE FILLED WITH GUILT
Living with guilt is truly hell on earth! People can go crazy or be driven to suicide due to a guilty conscience. Lady Macbeth was seen constantly washing her hands. This was an unconscious desire to be freed from the guilt of bloodshed and murder. She could not live with a guilty conscience that turned out to be a moral executioner. For that reason Shakespeare truly asserted: “Conscience does make cowards of us all.” Could it be that many people have recourse to medicine, taking pills to try to assuage and suppress the guilt that they are bearing in their conscience? Why not try Confession and experience the purity of an innocent conscience? With respect to Confession, never forget: it is free of charge. Also, there are no negative side-effects that often come about by taking medicine.
5. JOY: REJOICE IN THE LORD
Saint Thomas Aquinas states that all people are called to experience happiness or joy. If we look around us—at work, at school, on the road or freeway, we all too often find a lusterless, bland, and sad environment. Why is this the case if all are called to live in joy? The reason is this: many are looking for joy in all the wrong places. Still more, many confuse pleasure with joy. Pleasure can be bought and does not last. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit! Sin produces sadness in the soul. Only God can give us true joy. For this reason, Saint Paul reminds us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, rejoice in the Lord.” (Phil. 4:4) Our Lady in her powerful hymn of praise, the Magnificat, echoes the same sentiments: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Lk. 1:46-47)
Catechists have told me over the years that when a child is waiting to make their first Confession, they experience fear and anxiety, but after confessing, they leave the confessional radiating joy. Do you want to experience constant joy? Why not make it a habit to go to Confession frequently!
6. THE PASCHAL MYSTERY: FROM DEATH TO LIFE
If we have the misfortune of committing a mortal sin, we lose the grace of God and His Friendship. However, we should never give in to despair—that is the worst of sins! Like the Prodigal Son, we should return to the home of our loving Father and launch ourselves into His loving arms and He will forgive us. Saint Therese of Lisieux stated boldly that even if she committed all the worst sins in the world, she would run and launch herself with boundless trust into the Father’s arms! She said the Father’s arms are like an elevator to heaven! The great Saint Augustine, who lived a sinful life into his early thirties, stated that a good Confession is a Lazarus experience. If you remember, Lazarus died and Jesus raised him from the dead, summoning him from the tomb after he was buried for four long days. (Jn. 11:1-44) By making a good Confession, we are summoned to leave the tomb of our sins and come back to a life of grace and joy!
7. CURATIVE AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
Confession is like a medicine that heals the wounds of our soul. However, Confession can also serve as a means to prevent future falls! I remember once when I was coming down with a cold and a friend suggested that I take a couple tablets of Airborne, which I did. What a blessing! The cold that was about to overtake me for probably ten days to two weeks was halted in its tracks! The same can be said of frequent Confession! If we commit a mortal sin, we should run to the confessional as soon as possible. Moreover, frequent Confession, even of venial sins, can serve as a remedy to prevent us from falling into the spiritual sickness that we call sin! We all know from experience, better to prevent a fall and a break, than to heal from one!
8. AN ACT OF HUMILITY TO CRUSH OUR PRIDE
As a result of Original Sin we are all infected with the Capital Sin of Pride and we often are motivated by pride and self-love. Making a good Confession can help us grow in the opposite virtue that is essential for holiness and so pleasing to God: humility. In the Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus revealed to Saint Faustina the three essential qualities of a good Confession: transparency (total sincerity and openness), humility, and obedience to the Confessor who represents Christ. It is important when we confess, that we do not confess the sins of our husband (or wife), neighbor, or others! Nor should we rationalize, justify, or gloss over our sins. Rather, humility means we tell it exactly like it is!
9. GROWTH IN SELF-KNOWLEDGE
Another huge blessing that flows from a well-prepared and well-confessed Confession is an increase in self-knowledge. The Greek philosopher Socrates stated: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” A noteworthy historian interjects: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” Ignatian spirituality insists constantly on the importance of self-knowledge, knowing oneself and the movement of the spirits in one’s life.
Saint Ignatius asserted that one should never, ever leave off the daily Examen Prayer which is directed at self-knowledge and the awareness of God’s constant presence in our life. The desert Fathers had a short but extremely important axiom: “Know thyself.” For that reason, the person who examines their conscience well, confesses well, and consults the priest-confessor sincerely, will definitely grow in self-knowledge. By knowing themselves—their virtues as well as their sins—they can avoid falling into many future sins and avoid future tragedies!
10. FERVENT AND EFFICACIOUS HOLY COMMUNIONS
Another exceedingly important effect of a good Confession is more efficacious and fervent Holy Communions. These two Sacraments that we should receive frequently are intimately interconnected. A simple analogy could be useful: try to imagine your front room glass window pane. You have failed to clean it for more than a year. Consequently, the window has become smeared and sullied by dust, dirt, and smog, put simply, the polluted environment. So the day comes when you decide to do house cleaning and on the list is to clean that front window. You go to the store to buy Windex—a powerful and efficacious window spray. There you are, generously spraying the window, then with a dry newspaper you rub and rub. What do you notice? The window is now clear and sunlight is pouring through the window! Before, the window was half opaque; now it is completely transparent and the light of the sun can penetrate and inundate the house!
The same can be said with our soul which is like a window pane. Sin sullies, besmirches, and dirties our soul. With Confession, our dirty soul is cleansed with the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Our soul becomes pure, clean and transparent. Then when we receive Holy Communion, Jesus, who is truly the Light of the world, explodes and radiates light until the light of His Presence inundates the entire room of our soul. For that reason Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn. 8:12); then He said, “You are the light of the world.” (Mt. 5:14) Thus, the end result of frequent and worthy reception of these two sacraments, Confession and Holy Communion, is holiness! We are able to obey and put into practice Jesus’ command: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5:48) And, with Jesus, we become a light to others!
CONCLUSION
Pope Saint John Paul II made this comment with respect to Our Lady and the Sacrament of Confession. He said that the Marian Sanctuaries—Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, etc.—are spiritual clinics. In other words, we go to Marian Sanctuaries to meet Jesus, the Bread of Life in Mass and Holy Communion, but we also meet Jesus who is the Healer of our heart, mind, and soul in Confession! Indeed, the confessions lines are long in these Marian sanctuaries!
Let us turn to Our Lady whom we invoke as our “Mother of Mercy” and “Health of the Sick” to help us live our life to the maximum by having frequent recourse to the Sacrament of Confession, the true expression of the loving and merciful Heart of Jesus!
Copyright 2021 Oblates of the Virgin Mary / St. Peter Chanel Church, Hawaiian Gardens, CA
