"Confession is like spiritual Drano"

Last night, Father Bill Byrne spoke to a large group of us after Tuesday dinner.  He again amazed us with his stories, anecdotes, insights, and jokes. One hilarious tale was when he was in Rome studying at the North American College.  He had bought a car there which he named, "Baby Doll".  He drove one day to the Vatican to drop something off.  As he arrived, a Cardinal basically jumped in front of his car and was in desperate need for a quick ride.  The Cardinal, who was the 3rd highest Cardinal at the Vatican, got in the front seat and gave (then seminarian) Bill directions..."right...left...right".  They were going up to the Vatican Gardens!  When they arrived, they saw Cardinals 1 and 2.  Cardinal #3 and Bill got out of "Baby Doll" - they were on the helipad of the Vatican!  A short time later, a limo pulled up...the Pope's car.  Pope John Paul II got out, met the three Cardinals, and then Bill Byrne...with "Baby Doll" sitting close by.     

In his talk, Father Byrne focused on faith and the keys on how to live it.  His main image was that of the candle of faith that was lit at each of our baptisms.  We were given the light of Christ at Baptism...the light of faith.  In order to keep the candle lit, we need to do two things.  The first is to protect it from things that might blow the candle out.  In other words, guard it against forces that opposed to the light of Christ.  The second is to ensure that the light always has enough oil (as with a lamp) to continue to burn brightly.  

We see the images of lights, candles, and lamps used by Christ in the Gospel, and especially keeping the oil of our lamps in his parable of the ten virgins.  Oil is understood in this context as Grace.  Grace is the oil that keeps our lamps burning.  Father Byrne focused mainly on the Grace of the Eucharist and Confession as keeping our light of faith burning brightly.

He gave an analogy with Confession that was classic.  He said that we are like water pipes (like the ones that run from our kitchen sink).  The water represents God's love.  As pipes, we are to run the water out to others.  But, like all pipes, we get gunk on us from time to time that constricts the amount of water that can run through.  The gunk, of course, is sin; sin constricts the amount of God's love we bring to others.  Father Byrne made a clear distinction: we are not the gunk!  The gunk does not become us and we do not become the gunk.  Sin does not become who we are and we are not defined by our sin.

Confession is like spiritual Drano which clears the gunk out of our pipes, he said.  It clears our pipes and allows God's love to freely move through us.  Father Byrne said that he cleans his pipes with spiritual Drano every 1-2 weeks.  He doesn't have major gunk but needs the grace of Confession on a regular basis to stay clean, alert, and protected. 

For GW Catholics, then, I am your spiritual plumber who is on call 24/7 if your pipes get clogged with major gunk or you just want to have them cleaned.