Confession...

So...I don't know about you, but for a very long time, (and still occasionally) I was afraid to go to confession because, let's face it, who wants to spill all the worst things you've ever done to some guy in a box?

Well, really when you think about it, it isn't just "some guy in a box" but more, as my mom described it some years ago, a direct line to God's telephone...you're on one end, He's on the other, and then the priest is just the ear/mouthpiece to help you talk to him...who also happens to have the power to absolve you from your sins :)

Hello? Oh hey God! It's me, Rachel?

Really, I'm posting this because just last week in NY, I was sitting I mass, listening to the homily, and the priest said a couple things that really helped my way of thinking towards confession.   First off, priests don't go around remembering every sin they hear...they're not going to go around thinking, "Oh, there's Rachel...I can't believe that scumbag ate the last piece of the chocolate cake without leaving any for her mom...". Yes, Priests have more important thing to do than sitting around judging people...

He also used an inspiring analogy for confession I had never heard before...he said to think of it as a spiraling staircase...each time we confess our sins, we go up one spiral...they all look the same to us, but each time we get closer and closer, until, ultimately, we reach Heaven.

Last, but not least, he ended up reminding us "Don't be discouraged when you come to us confessing the same sins over and over...it would be a lot worse if each time you came in with a different set of mortal sins!"  That one made me laugh... :)

Thank you Fr. Patrick for helping me conquer my fear of confessionals, and I hope, you readers, that I've been at least sort of clear, and not just muddled up your brain! :)

~Rachel