Once the words of absolution are spoken, a new light of peace appears to us!

To many the grace of forgiveness never reaches the ears of those whose belief has dwindled. At one time the sense of going to confession was a mystery in itself and the feeling of a heavy weight was lifted off our shoulders. As we have searched this question before, the stress of what sin can do to the average person becomes a battle that will always confront our knowledge of righteousness.

Rhetorically speaking, can any of us fully understand the spiritual presence of forgiveness that comes from the Sacrament of Reconciliation? It goes further than just moving through the motions of a prescribed set of revealing our sins and another set of written guidelines to ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for the penitent.

When the friends of a paralytic man brought him to Jesus, and had to remove the roof tiles to lower him, Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” This of course upset the Pharisees who claimed Jesus was blaspheming. But the essence of what our Lord did before healing him physically was to heal him spiritually. (Mk 2: 1 - 12).

This mode of mercy that is exemplified by Jesus so often is the pattern of this most illustrious manner of bringing the main focus of the Incarnation; the way of learning the real reason why God sent his Son to personally introduce us to the Sacrament of Reconciliation even before it received a name.

Ask how often God will forgive our sins; It isn’t 7 times seventy times. That response to Peter was not a mathematical premise as much as a directive to forgive as often as another asks your forgiveness. As people who allow their pride to stand in the way of humility, that answer makes no sense. “I just forgave that person the other day for the same infraction he now is asking me to forgive him again. Well, when Christ was hanging on the Cross, his words that were so astounding to his Father, were, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Lk 23: 34). Was there any restrictions as to who he meant? So it is with us reaching out with a mercy that is divine, yet it comes from the very essence of humanity, you and I.

What is the greatest sin that stands before God ? Is it sexual in nature, or a way of covetousness? How about murder or stealing from a poor person? No! It is idolatry! When we place anything at all before God. “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me.” (Dt 5: 6 -9).

It is here that humans must walk in fear as our God is supreme above all that is tangible in the world. Sins of the flesh are wrong but, sins against the very holiness of God will place our soul in extreme jeopardy since these sins are not within the structure of humans; they are the pride against our Creator who loves us and idolatry is the slap in the face of Almighty God. Now, you have partaken in the worst choice of denying God and placing your soul at the worship of Satan. Repenting of these atrocious actions will reach the heart of Christ quicker than the sins of the flesh. Without that compunction towards God we shall find ourselves in hell since we have placed a wall of denial between God and humanity. That will be our free-will choice that after arriving there, we shall be in the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and the grinding of teeth.” Mt 14: 50).

As I have written more than once, as A night adorer before the Sacred Heart at 3 AM in the morning I heard a scream so loud and intense that it sent chills up my spine. After returning to my prayers, without finding anyone who was in severe pain, the Lord revealed to me that the scream came from the depth of hell. I cannot imagine a rejection so horrible that a soul could even utter sorrow that bad. But, it does exist and hell is ready for anyone who decides eternal punishment for ever and ever.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available to Catholics up to their death. Use this sign of God’s eternal love for our own sanctity.

Ralph B. Hathaway