Confession – An Appointment with the Divine Physician

One of the pillars of the spiritual life is repentance, conversion and the forgiveness of sins. It is at the very heart of the Gospel. We remember Jesus saying, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mk 1:15) Jesus also addresses the forgiveness of sins that comes through the ministry of bishops and priests.  In the Gospel of John we read about the post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples in the upper room. ”…Jesus came and stood among them and and said to them, ‘peace be with you’.  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you’  and when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ’Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” (Jn 20:19-23)

Recognizing the we are wounded by sin, Pope Francis refers to the Church as a “field hospital”. It is really a wonderful description!  The Church is also the Body of Christ and Our Lord is the Head and we are the members. As members, we have an intimate bond with Jesus and we are also bound together with one another. The forgiveness of our sins by the Sacrament of Penance or, as it is also known, confession, strengthens or restores our bond with Him and with one another. Christ, as the Divine Physician, does this great act of mercy and love in his own field hospital, the Church, primarily through the Sacrament of Penance or Confession. So we see that Confession is really an appointment with the Physician of our souls.

Let’s take a look first at the Sacrament of Baptism as a first step in understanding the importance of the Sacrament of Penance. The waters of Baptism effect a number of wonderful things for us. 1.) Baptism washes away all sin that a person may have committed including original sin that we inherit from Adam and Eve. 2.) Baptism incorporates us into the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church. 3.) Baptism gives us the life of God  that we call grace  and the Holy Trinity comes to dwell within us. 4.) Baptism makes us sons and daughters of God.
 
As we progress on our pilgrim way though this world, we commit sin. Sin and its effects wounds and weakens us in our spiritual life. Sins also wounds our relationship with Christ’s Body the Church.  It is then that we stand in need of healing and restoration to spiritual health. The Church as the field hospital is where we find this healing at the hands of the Divine Physician as we encounter him in Confession. When we come to Him in this powerful sacrament, He freely gives us the forgiveness of our sins, the reconciliation with God and one another, and the healing of our spiritual wounds that afflict us. 

And yet, Confession is widely neglected by many Catholics. I often think of it as the best-kept secret of the Catholic Church. There are many reasons for the marked decline in coming to Confession in the United States and other countries over the last 50 years. How do we bring back people to confession? We should reflect on what really happens in the confessional so that we can invite people back to this encounter of mercy.

When we come to Confession, we come to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is present in the Sacrament of Penance as He is in the other six sacraments. In Confession we come before the Lord and He pours out His love and mercy upon us. All we need to do is to come and confess our sins, to say that we are sorry, and to resolve with the help of His grace to sin no more. Coming to Confession is not about being crushed by guilt or being chastised for our sins. It is not an occasion to be severely judged or to experience terrible shame. Coming to Confession is coming to have an encounter with the merciful Jesus. In this encounter, He reaches out to draw us to His Heart, the source of forgiveness and love.  The Lord Jesus lays upon us His hands that bear the nail prints of His Passion to heal our sins and the damage they have done to us. By His Precious Blood that He shed during His Passion, He washes away our sins and destroys them forever. It is so amazing!

Our Lord spoke to St. Faustina Kowalska about Confession. She recorded in her diary His words.  “…when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from my Heart always flows down  upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in my mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul.  When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy” ( Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, # 1602)

If we want to be serious about our spiritual life, our relationship with God, and our eternal salvation, Confession is absolutely necessary. If we want to experience God’s love, we should come to Confession. We should not delay to come and encounter the Merciful Jesus, the Divine Physician, who works through the priest standing in His Person. Jesus brings us His forgiveness, love, and healing mercy through the priest’s ministry.

When we come to confess any serious (mortal) sins or sins that are not serious (venial), we experience an abundance of grace poured out upon us and the healing embrace of the Savior.  Encountering the Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance is the perfect way to prepare ourselves to receive Him in Holy Communion.  It is necessary to be healed and forgiven by Him if we have the misfortune of having committed mortal sin.  But, even if we have not lost the state of grace (free from mortal sin), an encounter with Jesus in Confession heals and prepares us to receive Him with great faith and love in the Holy Eucharist.  It is why Pope Francis calls the Church a “field hospital”.  There we are restored and healed by God’s love.

Come to Confession with great trust and love often.  There the Divine Physician waits for us and heals us by His Sacred Wounds through which is poured His love beyond all telling!

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh