God's Mercy: A Perpetual Gift of Thanksgiving

You may have heard it said, “Catholic guilt… the gift that keeps on giving.” However, that may not be quite true. For any Catholic who has stood in a line waiting to go to the Sacrament of Penance, the gift may just be simply “anxiety.” If we are honest with ourselves, this particular Sacrament is perhaps the most difficult for many reasons.

We’ve heard or even have stated, “Why should I tell my sins to another human being?” Or, “I say the same thing over and over again.” Or, “Why can’t I simply tell God I am sorry and be done with it?” The reasoning behind each of these statements is what causes our anxiety: our human nature. We realize that we are weak and sinful. That is not ever the issue. In fact, these statements, separated from their express purpose within Christ Jesus, are actually true. We wouldn’t just approach people on the street and begin confessing the deepest movements within our souls, nor would we expect anyone to actually understand what we are going through.

So allow me to share an antidotal story that may assist the reader in approaching this wonderful opportunity to receive God’s Mercy and Love, which in its own right is “eucharistic,” for us, both in a small and capital “e” sense of the word. One of the best Confessions that I had ever made was while in college. I was heavily burdened and approached the priest with fear and trepidation of being judged even more than I interiorly judged myself. So, when it was my “turn,” I took a deep breath and proceeded to make my Confession. When I was finished, I “braced” myself for the spiritual hammer that I just knew was about to descend. However, the opposite took place! The priest simply said, “You know, in this Sacrament of Penance, God basically takes all of our sins in both of His hands and places them aside so that He has two arms to embrace us.”

These words were God’s love in action. I was floored. I believe that my mind stopped racing and my heart stopped pounding because I was mentally and spiritually stumped. In my momentary paralysis, the priest gave me my penance. “Sin is trash,” he said. For your penance, I want you to walk past a trash can and symbolically throw your sins into it.” As I was waiting for what was surely to be a litany of prayers, he said, “Now make your Act of Contrition.” I finished my Confession, received absolution, and went back to my pew to contemplate what just took place.

I was no longer upset, or anxious. In fact, I was free in a way which I had never experienced. I still had to do my penance. I thought to myself, what will happen if someone sees me going through the motion of “throwing my spiritual sins into a physical trash can?” But, nonetheless, I promptly left my pew, walked out of the chapel where I was and saw a trash can. I, of course, looked to make sure the coast was clear first, and then proceeded to “throw my sins away, walking away a new man!”

I share this story with the reader to illustrate the point that we have “gone to Confession” many times in our lives. But it is that rare moment when we feel it so deeply as to know the depth of that forgiveness; the communion of hearts with Jesus Christ! There are two things that take place: Our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled with the Church. It is actually the second part of this equation I believe is the root cause of any anxiety.

Most of us struggle with our “church-connections” if you will. We see our lives as practicing Catholics as a “God and me” thing. However, here are the facts: When we were baptized, we became a member of the Body of Christ. We no longer existed for ourselves, but for all of the baptized members within the body. We have an obligation to support each other and to escort each other to heaven. This means that when we sin, our sin is against, God, ourselves, and all the other members of the Church that we have never seen or known. That is the reason for confessing our sins to a priest. He represents Jesus Christ while celebrating the Sacraments within the Catholic Church. He also is the mediator, or representative of all of the Body. Therefore, confessing our sins to a priest, is confessing them to God, who forgives us and to the entire Body of Christ, embodied in the ministry of our dear Padres! This allows us to be “reconciled” within the Church. As for the statement of confessing the same sins repeatedly? This simply points us in the direction where we are in need the most help.

This is the purpose of guilt. In a negative sense, it can be psychologically debilitating, as manifested through anxiety. In a spiritual sense, it can be a gentle nudge and inward sign that points us towards the person God created us to become from the foundation of the world. This is what makes this beautiful Sacrament “Eucharistic;” a love worthy of our “thanksgiving;” fully experienced within the Body of Christ each time we gather, to receive the Body and Blood of Christ!