We Hold Each Other: Embracing Christ in Reconciliation

I have realized as I continue to grow in my faith, especially through frequent Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation, that I begin to see God’s revelation everywhere. I am finding it in some of the most unexpected places, such as TV shows, music and movies which were not produced with such revelations in mind.

The most recent experience occurred following a visit to the confessional a few weeks ago. I got in my car and turned on the radio. A song, which I have heard several times in the past came on. The song was “We Hold Each Other” by Great Big World. Generally, when this song comes on the radio I change the station as one of the artists sings about a homosexual relationship. However, this time, I didn’t get to the tuner fast enough. When that verse came up, here is what I heard:

Something happens when I hold him

He keeps my heart from getting broken

When the days get short and the nights get a little bit frozen

We hold each other

We hold each other

We hold each other.

Having just walked out of the confessional, I no longer heard a song about a same-sex relationship. I now heard a song about embracing our Lord, Jesus Christ in the same way He embraces us in the sacrament of Reconciliation. As I heard these words in a new light, I was overcome with emotion. I was reminded of my own journey back into Christ’s embrace.

As I walked into confession for the first time in over twenty years, I could feel the weight of twenty years of mortal sin weighing me down. I had been calm on my way in, but as soon as I knelt down and began to say “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been twenty years since my last confession” it became difficult for me to get the words out. I got choked up and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. The priest didn’t chastise me for being away so long. He didn’t ask me why it had been so long. He simply said “Welcome home”. I sobbed the entire way through my confession. When I was done and I heard the words, “I absolve you of your sins” my tears of sorrow for my sins turned to tears of joy for my reconciliation. The weight of all that sin had immediately been lifted off my shoulders.

The priest hugged me after confession and once again told me “Welcome home”. I felt like the Prodigal Son being embraced by his father after squandering away all that he had been given. In the same way that the priest embraced me after confession, Christ embraces us in confession. In fact, it is the priest acting in persona Christi in the sacrament of Reconciliation, hearing our confessions, embracing us and offering us forgiveness. Look no further than John 20:21-23 to see the apostles’ command to act in persona Christi, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Jesus already approaches us with His arms stretched wide open - as we can see on the cross. He longs to embrace us. To comfort us in times of need. All He asks is that we open our arms in return and accept His embrace. I am reminded of an angry child who does not want to be embraced by his parents - twisting and turning and fighting them. As a parent, we try to hold them as tight as we can and hope they do not slip from our embrace. We hope that they realize we are there to comfort them. That must be how it feels to Jesus when we refuse the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Since I made that first Reconciliation in over twenty years, I have become a regular - of both the confessional and Eucharistic Adoration. It is amazing how much more stress I am able to handle in my life, now that I know I do not have to handle it alone. I am also able to better handle my temptations. I make this plea with you as we approach a new year, if it has been a while since you have allowed Christ to embrace you in the sacrament of Reconciliation, please go. There is no sin too big, or too small.