Dear Parishioners,

The sacrament of Reconciliation will be made available this Wednesday, April 5 at 7 pm during a Deanery Penance Service. (There will also be another one that day at 3 pm at St. Elizabeth, Avon). I hope that many of you, especially those who have not been to confession in a while will be able to make a good confession this year.

Confession is a great (yet often underappreciated) gift from God. Many of Our Lord’s greatest miracles deal with forgiveness of sin. Before He left His disciples, Jesus said to them, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23) One can summarize Jesus’s mission as the forgiveness of sins and this is a mission that is continued through the ordained priests of the Church.

Yet, so many people are convinced that they do not need confession. They might feel like they have nothing to confess. However, as the Apostle John says in his letter, “If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Sometimes if it has been a number of years since someone has been to confession, they can easily forget their sins or begin to doubt whether some act actually is a sin. Any time someone has asked me to help them in confession, I have been happy to go through an examination of conscience with them and I have always found something for them to confess.

Other people may even be afraid of confession. One thing to always keep in mind, though, is that the priest is there to help you. He is not there to yell at you or make you feel bad. (If he does, pray for him! Even priests need to go to confession.) No one is as aware of the struggle of sin than the priests because priests hear so many confessions and know what people are going through. As Our Lord says over and over again, “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)

Confession is about reconciling with God. It is about being able to come back home after being lost for many years. It is about being able to walk when everyone thought you were paralyzed. It is about receiving a wonderful and unexpected gift from a close friend. It is about being accepted by someone who would never deny you no matter what you do to Him. That person, is of course God. And after the confession is over, you will be glad that you went.

We have all wandered in the past. Now is the time to return to the Lord.

God bless,

Fr. Carter

P.S. For Holy Thursday Mass, we need 12 people to have their feet washed, and 3 people to present oils. If you plan to attend that Mass and you would like to help, please sign up on the sheet in the Bride’s Room.