UH-OH, this is another article about Confession, isn't it?
Recently Pope Francis reflected on the sacrament of Reconciliation as part of his homily on the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost Prodigal Son last weekend. Confessionals are generally quiet, darkened places. Many times we may approach them with a sense of anxiety and embarrassment. But when a soul enters a confessional, what does Heaven look and sound like?
It is a useful reminder that all of the Church's sacraments are celebrations - even the ones that may not in appearance seem to be, such as a funeral Mass or Confession. But Confession (or Penance or Reconciliation) is a celebration, with everything that the word entails.
The Pope said that through these parables Jesus presents us with “the true face of God, a God with his arms always open, a God who deals with sinners with tenderness and compassion.” God is waiting for us to get back up again, to rise up out of sin, the Pope explained. And “he awaits us with patience, he sees us when we are still a long way off, he runs to meet us, he embraces us, he kisses us, he forgives us. That is how God is. That is how our Father is.”
Think about the image in the parable of the Prodigal Son with the father waiting and waiting for his son to return. This gives us an idea about how our heavenly Father does much the same when it is a while since we've come back to Him in the sacrament of Reconciliation.
But once that happens, Jesus speaks of the rejoicing in Heaven. It is Jesus who says, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” Of course, if we take a moment to think about this, we can appreciate the irony of Jesus' words - no one is truly righteous, except in their own pride. All of us have need of repentance, repentance that God is all too willing and waiting to give when we recognize that need.
Have you ever thought about how each time we go to the confessional, there is joy and celebration in heaven? The Holy Father said that we can be filled with great hope, since “there is no sin in which we may have fallen, from which, with the grace of God, we cannot rise up again.No one is so far gone they can’t be recovered, because God never stops wanting our good — even when we sin!”
It is a useful reminder that all of the Church's sacraments are celebrations - even the ones that may not in appearance seem to be, such as a funeral Mass or Confession. But Confession (or Penance or Reconciliation) is a celebration, with everything that the word entails.
The Pope said that through these parables Jesus presents us with “the true face of God, a God with his arms always open, a God who deals with sinners with tenderness and compassion.” God is waiting for us to get back up again, to rise up out of sin, the Pope explained. And “he awaits us with patience, he sees us when we are still a long way off, he runs to meet us, he embraces us, he kisses us, he forgives us. That is how God is. That is how our Father is.”
Think about the image in the parable of the Prodigal Son with the father waiting and waiting for his son to return. This gives us an idea about how our heavenly Father does much the same when it is a while since we've come back to Him in the sacrament of Reconciliation.
But once that happens, Jesus speaks of the rejoicing in Heaven. It is Jesus who says, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” Of course, if we take a moment to think about this, we can appreciate the irony of Jesus' words - no one is truly righteous, except in their own pride. All of us have need of repentance, repentance that God is all too willing and waiting to give when we recognize that need.
Have you ever thought about how each time we go to the confessional, there is joy and celebration in heaven? The Holy Father said that we can be filled with great hope, since “there is no sin in which we may have fallen, from which, with the grace of God, we cannot rise up again.No one is so far gone they can’t be recovered, because God never stops wanting our good — even when we sin!”
If anybody knew how much the sacraments are a gift to the Church and a source of joy to the faithful, it was Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the best-known and best-loved Catholic orators of the twentieth century, reaching millions of Christians and non-Christians alike through his immensely popular and Emmy award-winning television show Life is Worth Living, which aired throughout the 1950s. We are pleased to offer a FREE MP3 to you made up of three separate talks given by Archbishop Sheen on his television program. These presentations have been re-mastered to provide the highest sound quality possible.
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