Skip to main content

Returning To The Father (Sacrament of Reconciliation)

The Penitential Rite is always a grace-filled experience for me. I am humbled every time I deliver these words: 
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The Confiteor reminds me of my weakness as a human and my great need for the Lord's mercy and forgiveness. And because I am reminded, I need to act. As Catholics, we are blessed with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Before, I didn't like the idea of having to confess my sins to a priest. I was hesitant because I was trying to convince myself that I can confess my wrongdoings directly to God. Why would I still need a "middle-man"? I was also worried about what the priest would tell me and think about me. I was afraid to be judged. 

It was only in 2008 when I was finally able to appreciate and embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And my first heart-felt, ever-sincere, honest-to-goodness confession happened at Santo Domingo Parish Church in Quezon City. Since then, I make it a point to go to confession at least once a year. As I learned more about our faith and as I try to draw closer to the Lord, I found myself going to confession more frequently. Doing so gives me serenity, inner healing, and peace. 

Photo Credit: Breathing in Jesus

I really thank God for the beautiful gift of this sacrament and for allowing me to meet new friends and prayer partners through it. 

I can no longer remember how many priests have heard my confession but I will never forget the priests who have patiently listened, eagerly shared their thoughts and wisdom, and earnestly prayed for and with me. One of them I already regard as my spiritual director, though he doesn't like to be called that way. He said it entails a big responsibility which he cannot promise to deliver because of his many other commitments. But he has always been there for me and for more than a year now, he has been journeying with me through thick and thin. :) 

Just before the mass this afternoon, I availed the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After confessing my sins to him, he simply said, "We are not yet saints. And so we ask the grace and strength from the Lord to help us become just like Him." Then he gave me absolution.

That was a magnificent moment of grace - a time when I felt closest to the Father. 

Such is the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It gives us unlimited opportunities to return to the Father. And the best thing about it is, it is for free! We just need to avail it. 

During the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday (which marks the beginning of Lent), we are being told by the minister to repent and believe in the Gospel. As we approach the Holy Week, all the more that we are invited to repentance and faith, which may both be achieved and expressed through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

Don't know how to? Well, you don't need to be an expert, because all that is needed is a humble and contrite heart. :) But if you want to do it right and receive the full benefit of the sacrament, this might help: 

Source: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments/penance/

You might also want to read through this beautiful exhortation about the said sacrament:

Full document can be downloaded here: God's Gift of Forgiveness

Still got questions? Then this video would probably answer them. :)


Let me end this post with this Prayer for Reconciliation
Photo Credit: Landings International
May we all have a meaningful season of Lent as we strive to be nearer to the Father and become more like the Son. :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place?  Photo Credit:  http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan."   He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3.   So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here .

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to.  So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :)  I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :)  H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend?  Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit?  First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts receptive

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff  is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :)  Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D  Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year?  A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky   Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females?  A: Nails And the final question is... Q:  According to Box Office Mojo   what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire That's all