Pray with great confidence, based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ.  God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.  --St. Louis de Montfort

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our journey leads us now to the holy season of Lent, forty days of preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is a time for penance and reconciliation. On Ash Wednesday, as our foreheads are marked with ashes, we are admonished to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel." By its very nature, the Lenten season disposes us to answer this call to conversion and renewal. And so, as Lent begins, I offer you this pastoral letter on the sacrament of Reconciliation, and ask you to prayerfully consider your own need to celebrate this sacrament of God's merciful love in preparation for the Easter triduum. The sacrament of Reconciliation is often referred to as the sacrament of penance or confession or forgiveness, but here I choose to use the word reconciliation because it more aptly describes the full meaning of the sacrament, whereas the other words highlight only one aspect of it.

One year ago, in my pastoral on Baptism, I stated that "Baptism transfers our citizenship from this world into the Kingdom of God and we share already, though not yet completely, in the life in which the angels and the saints even now rejoice." This is true because through Baptism we are reborn in Christ and made members of the communion of saints. Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit is at work continually drawing us ever more deeply into the very holiness of God. We reflect this holiness when we live our Christian lives in faithfulness to the gospel. But, sadly, with the passing of time, we find ourselves sinning and thus losing to greater or lesser degree the innocence of and commitment to our Christian calling.

Reality
The Reality of Sin

Let me state clearly that sin is a reality of life, though we may forget or even deny its existence. It wounds human nature and injures human solidarity (cf, Catechism of the Catholic Church 1849). It even impacts the planet we call our home. Sin goes beyond breaking laws and disobeying commandments; by sinning we rupture our relationship with God and neighbor. If sin becomes rooted in our hearts, we isolate ourselves from the love of God, plunging into a life of selfishness. As I wrote in my pastoral on Confirmation, "On our own, we struggle in turmoil, floundering to find a way to authentic happiness and genuine fulfillment. Immersed in a climate that values profits over people, self over society, immediate gratification over self-sacrifice, we drift from a life overflowing with the gifts of the Spirit, and, ultimately, away from God."

We enter this world tainted by original sin, but are reborn and renewed by the cleansing waters of Baptism, which configures us to Christ by the power of God's Spirit. Yet, as we develop, we become aware of our ability to commit sin in thought, word and deed. We refer to serious sin as "mortal," and less serious sin, as "venial." A serious, or mortal, sin is the deliberate choice with full knowledge and complete consent to do something contrary to the will of God. Venial sin does not separate us from God’s love but weakens our love for God and impedes our progress in holiness. Venial sins may seem insignificant, but if ignored consistently, have a way of preventing us from giving God first place in our lives. We can sin by both action and inaction; in the penitential rite of the Mass we are reminded of this when we ask God's forgiveness "for what I have done; and for what I have failed to do." Ultimately, sin is the most telling witness to the absence of God in the human person, in society and in the world. After the horrifying terrorist events of 2001, can anyone doubt the reality of sin in our world?

The Reality of Love

It is our responsibility as Christians to witness to the presence of a greater, more powerful reality than sin, that is, the overwhelming and all-embracing love of God. The most perfect sign of God's love for us is His Son, Jesus Christ. We read in the Gospel of John: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (Jn 3:16). Jesus constantly displayed this wondrous love of the Father throughout his public ministry, but nowhere in a more sensitive and healing manner than when he dealt with sinners.

Recall with me several gospel accounts that illustrate the compassionate love of Christ in his dealings with sinners. The first is found in the Gospel of Luke. A paralytic is lowered by his friends on a mat from an opening in the roof of the house where Jesus is teaching. "Seeing their faith Jesus said (to the paralytic) My friend your sins are forgiven you" (Lk 5:20). He then goes on to heal the man of his paralysis. The second instance is related in the Gospel of John. A woman caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees who hope to trap him. According to the law of Moses, the penalty for such a crime was stoning to death. Jesus confounds the woman's accusers by suggesting that the one without sin be the first to cast a stone. One by one they disappear, leaving only the woman standing before Jesus. Addressing her by her proper title, he asks: "Woman, where did they all go to? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she answered. Jesus said, "Nor do I condemn you. You may go. But from now on, avoid this sin" (Jn 8: 10-11).

Both healings - and the forgiveness of sin is truly a healing - take place in the midst of other people. In the case of the paralytic, a community of caring friends, in the case of the woman, a crowd grown cold with self-deception. While we are moved by the tender compassion of Jesus for the paralytic and the adulteress, we must not miss the interaction between Jesus and those who present them to Him. In the first instance, Jesus responds to a group's loving concern for their sick friend; in the second, Jesus challenges the hollow holiness of the woman's accusers, calling them to face the truth about themselves. Jesus restores to the paralytic health of spirit and body and to the woman her dignity as a child of God. But both the friends of the paralytic and the woman's accusers were also touched by their encounters with the Divine Physician. Who can doubt that the faith of the former was strengthened, and that the latter, confronted by the living Word of Truth, did not depart the scene beating their breasts? It is the same Divine Healer that we meet in the sacrament of Reconciliation. How could anyone ever resist or fear such an encounter?

Rite
Dispositions of the Penitent

To adequately prepare for sacramental reconciliation, it is important to seriously examine one's conscience. God is not interested in a laundry list of our sins; rather, He is concerned about the attitude of our heart. An examination of conscience reveals where our treasure really lies. If it rests in areas where God is a foreigner, then conversion is called for.

The three acts of the penitent, which are necessary for a valid celebration of Reconciliation, are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Contrition is the experience of sincere sorrow for offending God together with a firm determination to avoid future sin. Confession involves the declaration of one's sins by the penitent to the priest. Satisfaction refers to the carrying out of a penance, a prayer or action imposed by the priest in reparation for sins committed and as an aid to healing the wounds of sin.

The Liturgy of Reconciliation

The celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation is an act of worship which through the petition, confession, and the absolution of the priest makes the merciful judgment of God present to the contrite sinner. It is a visible sign of that person's conversion from sin, which involves both the action of God carried out through the priest who ministers the sacrament and the cooperation of the one absolved.

In the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, the Rite of Penance can take two forms, individual and communal. In the rite for individual penitents, one confesses face-to-face with the priest or from behind a screen. The priest greets the penitent and there follows a brief reading from Scripture either by the priest or penitent. The penitent then makes a confession of sin, receives a penance from the priest and makes an act of contrition. The priest then extends his hands over the head of the penitent and speaks the words of absolution:

God the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us
for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, +
and of the Holy Spirit.

The penitent replies: Amen.

The celebration concludes with a proclamation of praise, in which the priest says: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." And the penitent responds: "His mercy endures forever."

Communal reconciliation follows the pattern of the Liturgy of the Word with opening song, a greeting and prayer by the priest, followed by readings from Sacred Scripture. The priest delivers a homily followed by a public examination of conscience led either by the priest or another participant. The assembly offers a prayer of sorrow. Then time is given for individual confessions and absolution. It is important to remain until all confessions are completed, using the time for prayer especially for others who are taking part in the sacrament of Reconciliation. When individual confessions have been completed, the assembly joins in a recited or sung proclamation of praise. With this the liturgy is completed and ends with the dismissal.

Whether the Sacrament is celebrated individually or communally, the participants always experience peace of heart and joy of spirit knowing that through Christ's death they have been reconciled with God and with the Church. With the apostle Paul they can say: "we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1).

Reflection

In the Preamble to the Documents of the Ninth Diocesan Synod, the people of the Diocese, affirming God's universal call to holiness, acknowledged their personal responsibility for the living out their baptismal commitment. "This call to holiness requires of all the baptized a life-long commitment to spiritual renewal, personal conversion, and faith formation" (Documents of the Ninth Diocesan Synod, 5). During Lent the Church urges us to intensify our efforts to turn away from all that is not of God so that we might be more faithful witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Lent, please take full advantage of every opportunity to deepen your faith by celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation. By doing so, you not only receive God's loving forgiveness, but you also witness to the power of Christ's healing presence in the world. Today the Catholic Church is distinguished for its ability to forgive and heal, to seek reconciliation and peace in every situation. In a world in which so many people, especially those struggling with issues of faith, long for healing of spirit and peace of soul, our Catholic Community can offer a sign of hope and the promise of peace through the example of our own lives as we turn away from sin and be ever more faithful to the gospel.

Merciful God, you never cease to call us
to a new and abundant life.
You are always ready to forgive. Though we are sinners you invite us to trust in your mercy.
Now as we begin this season of grace and reconciliation,
we turn back to you to be renewed in Christ your Son.
You have given us this time of grace and reconciliation
and invite us to serve our brothers and sisters
by opening our hearts to the fullness of your Holy Spirit.
Strengthen our determination to turn away from sin
and be faithful to the gospel now and always.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Most Rev. Bernard W. Schmitt

Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston

Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the praise we lavish on the mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son.  --St. Bernard of Clairvaux

 

St. Joseph Catholic Church
1304 Sixth Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia  25701
304-525-5202
Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Luciana, Pastor
Rev. Fr. Julian Marneni, Associate Pastor