Graces await penitent

Catholics who don't go to confession are missing out on one of the Church's most beautiful sacraments, said Rev. William Recchuti, OSA, pastor of Assumption/St. Paul parish in Mechanicville,

He urged Catholics to take advantage of the Sacrament of Reconciliation's many graces and the rich opportunity it offers for forgiveness.

"Jesus forgave sin," the priest noted. "He was the divine physician, the one who came to heal [our spiritual ills]. In commissioning His disciples to forgive sin, what He did was of the utmost benefit to us. He compelled His disciples to go out and forgive sins. This directive is the basis for the sacrament."

Priest's role

In speaking of the confessor's role, Father Recchuti said that the priest doesn't forgive sin with any power that he has.

Rather, through ordination, a priest has received the commission that was passed on by Jesus to Peter and the disciples.

"Jesus has given us something easy and practical," he explained. "He gave us all the sacraments and the special graces we receive when we celebrate them. By doing this, we continue His saving action throughout all time."

Going deeper

Father Recchuti believes today's culture has adversely affected celebration of the sacrament.

"We live in a time of superficiality and sound bites," he noted, "and are given a tremendous amount of information through media and computers that we must digest instantaneously. Thus, our satisfaction must be instantaneous. As a result, we seldom, if ever, get to the core of an issue. Rather, our attention as a society and as individuals is concentrated on a superficial point of view.

"Because of this, we manage to wean ourselves away from examination of conscience over a period of time. The lack of this practice is why I believe so many Catholics tend to ignore the sacrament. Examining one's conscience is a requirement for Reconciliation. When we stop examining our thoughts and actions, we become less aware of sin in our lives and less likely to want to confess them to another.

"Because we are so wrapped up in external satisfactions, such as athletics, entertainment, addictions and escapism, we tend to avoid God in our lives. Rather than face our own conscience, we prefer to escape the reality of life through such diversions.

Then, when we sin, we feel humiliated by our actions and frankly, don't want to confess them to another."

Mediator

When Catholics ask why they should confess to a priest rather than directly to God, Father Recchuti answers: "If God wished us to do that, Jesus would not have commissioned the disciples to go out and forgive the sins of those who were repentant.

"There is a guilt factor that accompanies the act of committing a sin, and Reconciliation goes a long way in helping a person diminish those guilt feelings. Praying for forgiveness to God doesn't really assure a person that he or she is forgiven. Hearing the words of absolution from another can help diminish that guilt.

"For a person to receive the benefits of the sacrament, there must be acknowledgement of our guilt and contrition, or sorrow, for the commission of sin. The priest knows if both or none are present.

"The specific forgiveness of sin that this sacrament provides gives us God's special grace, which fills us with life. In Reconciliation, Jesus gave us a special sacrament to continue His saving action in our lives. This should be enough of a reason for us to take advantage of it."

(2/17/05)