Upcoming Newman Center events:
-Sunday night Masses (7:30 and 10 pm), St Stephen’s
-Oct 17: Open House / Parents Weekend, 12-4 pm
-Oct 24: Harper’s Ferry day trip (please email Meg at meg@gwcatholic.com for more info or to sign up)
-Oct 30: Blob’s Park Bier Garten trip (please email Meg)
------------------------------
‘Anon’ wrote the following about Confession: “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a wonderful, albeit difficult Sacrament. After soul searching and true ownership of sin(s), a wonderful sense of cleanliness and hope ensues. With this being said, and with such importance placed on our state of Grace when receiving the Eucharist, why is Confession's availability so coveted? It would seem to me that if the Church wants its members to participate and take advantage of this beautiful Sacrament, it should be a little easier to access. I'd imagine Confessions would increase if it was offered more frequently. Thoughts anyone - or am I just lazy and accustomed to our 7-11 culture? - fast, easy and on my schedule.”
Great points and profound question. My Confession schedule does fit into the 7-11 mentality, I have to admit. Well, only in the sense that I am open 24/7 for Confession...!
GW students might have heard or will hear that and might be confused about what “open 24/7 for confession” means. ‘Does it mean that we can call you in the middle of the night?’ (as some of my wise-cracking friends have threatened to do!) Well, I guess if it’s an emergency, yes that’s what it means. I have received legitimate calls in the middle of the night and have responded. But confession can usually wait until morning (and should wait if the person is just coming back from the bars!).
While I don’t intend the focus of my 24/7 policy to be on the wee hours of the morning, I do want people to know my hours of availability. I want people to know on a practical level that the “confessional” is open throughout the day and night, every day. Several students have taken me up on the offer and come for confession during the week. They make an appointment with me or just stop by as if they were going to see one of their professors. So, I guess my “office hours” are 24/7 (well, really 24/6 because I’m not here on Thursdays, but still available in emergency). It’s not just after Masses on Sundays or during the week that I’m available to hear your confession; it’s whenever you want to be cleansed of your sins. This is what priests have done for me over the years, so this is what I want to do for you while I am here.
Beyond the practical understanding of 24/7, I want to close with some of the deeper meanings behind it.
“Open 24/7 for Confession” means:
-I am always available to offer you mercy
-I am always available to reconcile you with God and the Church
-Christ’s mercy is infinite; my offer of His mercy is unlimited
-Sin happens every hour of every day, mercy can happen 24/7.
-Confess serious sin ASAP!
-Get the huge weight of sin off your heart and mind…today!
4 comments:
thank you.
When I read this blog site, I hear a priest yearning for GW students to ask questions, share thoughts, express curiosities and be open to exploration of the Catholic faith. GW students, take advantage of this invitation to dialogue - it will be an enlightening conversation. Tweak FG's brain, it has much to offer - lots of which does not revolve around the Redskins! Be not afraid of his response to a question. If you've got something to say or ask that he hasn't heard, then you probably need to be talking with him or using the wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation (FG loves the box, but he'd probably meet you at McDonalds as well, another one of his favs.) If you ask a goofy question, you might get a goofy look - he, like us, has plenty of them. He'll then answer your question with respect for your creative and curious thinking. If you commit a sin (aka "screw up") he won't think less of you if you accept responsibility for your actions or thoughts - he'll think more of you - at least you're trying to do the right thing. If you simply want to stay in the periphery for a while, and watch and listen, that's fine too. He won't track you down. If you read or post stuff on this blog site, I suspect you are at least curious about Catholicism. Keep reading. Keep thinking. Keep asking questions.
If you aren't aware, Pope Benedict XVI has declared this year as "The Year for Priests" (June 19, 2009 - June 19, 2010). Priests live to share their love for Christ; however, this gift does not come comes without costs or challenges. A priest's existence is a delicate balance of evil vs. good, selflessness vs. self centeredness, heaven vs. earth. They face these dynamic contrasts daily and without reprieve, just as we do. Their human presence here on earth guarantees an understanding of our pain, and then some - they can expect to wear the crown of thorns and be offered nothing but vinegar to quench their thirst. Yet, not a word of complaint or criticism will be heard as they shepherd us from this life to the next. They cannot become comfortable and complacent with their existence for the lure of evil can then present as a wonderful, sweet tasting treat. One bite can ruin their relationship with Christ, just like it can for us. Fortunately, here we are, some 2,000 years later, and Christ's silent love is still echoing - echoing because of the daily walk priests take.
With this in mind, I would ask that each one of us, regardless of our understanding or knowledge of Catholicism and the priesthood, get down on our knees and pray for priests, every day. God does not look at age or color, strength or weakness when we pray and He certainly doesn't hear one prayer over another because of one's major or study habits. He simply listens, loves and guides us - forever. If you only have a few free minutes of empty brain time, offer those minutes of internal silence and prayer to our priests. Prayer is powerful. If your knees won't hold out, or you don't want to look odd because you're kneeling, sit down, stand, take a jog, just do something that keeps your mind quiet and your heart filled with thoughts of Christ's eternal love. Without priests, we have no Eucharist. Without the Eucharist, we have no heaven. Without heaven, we have no hope of sharing in Christ's eternal kindness, peace and love. As the year continues, let us not forget to take a moment and pray for our priests. They pray for us.
If there were only more Priests willing to spend that kind of time in the confessional.
And the flip side to this might be as simple as the theory of supply and demand. If there were more Catholics utilizing or requesting the Sacrament of Reconciliation, would there be an increase in the availability of Confession?
Or, should we follow the Italian's creative thinking? A summer or two ago, an area in Italy actually took the church to the people - on the beach. Yes, they set up an inflatable church, right on the beach! The article (printed in a reputable source) commented on the fact that many Italians hit the beach for the summer. The churches are empty for several months so some nuns and priests took the church to the people, literally. Mass wasn't celebrated, but Confession, evening activities and music were offered. Now, I'm sure there must have been some dress code in order to enter the "chapel" b/c I can't imagine a bunch of priests staying focused as bikini clad women strolled on in to confess their sins! But, what an awesome way to go to Confession - think about it - you can hide your nervousness by wiggling your toes into the warm sand and you have the calming effect of the "white noise" from the breaking waves in the background. You confess your sins, do your penance and head on back out to the rays. I got to wondering what type of penance the priests doled out, uhmm…. "For your penance, I'd like you to jump in the ocean and swim 50 yds against the wind while you recite a decade of the rosary"! Or, "I'm sorry, but today you'll have to say three Hail Mary's when you flip from laying on your stomach to your back." As for the guys, "Keep your eyes to yourself or make sure you have sunglasses on." I mean - c'mon, what an awesome way to reconcile one's self with Christ! You've got the water to cleanse your soul right there. Perhaps you guys can see if FG can spare a corner in the Newman Center. You can put some sand on the ground, warm up the area with one of those red warming lights mounted overhead and have a CD playing some ocean sounds in the background! What do you think? It sure sounds inviting to me.
Post a Comment