Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are twenty-three (23) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and five (5) canons in the Code of Canon Law which can help us to appreciate the Sacrament of Penance. The following is a reflection on CCC,
1491.
There are four distinct acts or moments which should be considered integral to the Sacrament of Penance, three on the part of the penitent and one on the part of the priest.
The first act of a penitent is repentance. This first act presupposes an examination of conscience. We are to examine our conscience before the Cross, with the aid of Sacred Scripture (e.g. Romans 1:28–32; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 9–10; Galatians 5:19- 21; Ephesians 5:3–5; Colossians 3:5–8; 1 Timothy 9–10; 2 Timothy 2–5; Hebrews 12:16) and the sure and certain teachings of Mother Church. Upon realizing our sins and shortcomings we are able to come to a real sense of sorrow for our sins. When this sorrow is motivated by the pure love of God it is called “perfect contrition.” When the sorrow for sins is motivated by a desire to not suffer eternal damnation in Hell it is called “imperfect contrition.”
The second act of a penitent is the actual confession or manifestation of sins to the priest-confessor with the firm purpose to accomplish reparation. Having become sorry for our sins we actually present ourselves and our sins to Christ through the ministry of the priests. Admitting our sins and our responsibility for offending God and neighbor. A very wise priest once advised his penitents: “be brief, be blunt, be gone.” Regarding the brief-ness, Confession is not counseling. Regarding blunt-ness we are not to be shy or embarrassed, priests have heard all sorts of things. Regarding gone-ness, go do your penance.
The third and final act of the penitent in the Sacrament of Penance is doing the actual works of reparation. The priest- confessor assigns the penitent a statutory penance, the completion of which is no less integral to the sacrament. These works of reparation often include prayers, pilgrimages, fastings, corporal works of mercy and the like.
The primary act of the priest-confessor is the granting of the absolution to the penitent. The prayer of absolution is an effective utterance. When the police officer says “you are under arrest” or the judge says “you are free to go” it is so. When the priest utters the words of absolution the penitent is absolved, that is washed and cleansed of the sins well repented and confessed. The prayer of absolutions is as follows: “God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to Himself, and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr