The Breath of God: The Sacrament of Confession
Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence Family of Parishes,
Christ is Risen! The joy of the Easter season continues. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who spent countless hours cleaning, decorating, practicing, and preparing for the Easter liturgies. I want to highlight especially the work of Dr. Scot Buzza, our Family Music Director, and all the time he put into preparing music, rehearsing, and playing at the liturgies. We are very blessed to have a musician of his talents and prowess overseeing the musical growth of our Family of Parishes. According to the Second Vatican Council, music is the greatest artistic treasure of the Church, and it is a privilege to be able to cultivate sacred music to the best of our ability.
Personally, this past Holy Week was very encouraging to me. It was a blessing to see more vibrant liturgies, fuller churches, and more people coming together to worship as a Family of Parishes. While we have a long way to go, and many hard decisions ahead of us, I can see some fruits of our labors already. I am confident of a brighter and more vibrant future as we work together and become stronger as one. The Mass times change that we made at the beginning of Lent, with the help of the Family Worship Commission, has been a great success, and has positioned us for next steps in Family unity.
Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter Sunday, which emphasizes the greatest of God’s attributes: His Mercy. We hear in the Gospel how Jesus institutes the Sacrament of confession immediately after His resurrection, on Easter Sunday morning. This is why the Catholic Church emphasizes this Sacrament so much. It is the sacrament of new creation, of recreation, empowered by the breath of God newly resurrected. Jesus breathes on the Apostles to give them the power of spiritual recreation through the sacrament of confession, just as God’s Spirit hovered over and gave life to the primordial waters, as God breathed on the dust and made living human beings, and as He mixed the breath of His mouth with clay to give sight to the man born blind.
A recent nationwide study, not yet published (but I got to review the draft), has found that a strong correlation exists between frequent confession and high levels of human flourishing. Every single Pope of the last century has encouraged frequent confession. If we approach this Sacrament of mercy with the correct dispositions, it recreates and renews us spiritually. I make a practice of weekly confession, myself, and I have found it to be very refreshing and beneficial. God’s grace is truly transformative.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, it is a tradition within our Family of Parishes to host a great celebration of Divine Mercy, with many confessions, at the St. Bartholomew campus. Please take advantage of this great opportunity! See the advertisement below for more details.
With death conquered, life victorious, and Hell defeated, we have little to fear as we move forward. It remains necessary for us to partake in the combat, in order to participate in the victory. But the final outcome is assured.
With that confidence, we can gather around Mary, as the Apostle did, devoted to teaching, to the Eucharist, in prayer, and in confident expectation of the promised Spirit. As we approach the process of bringing our parishes together, with an attitude of Easter courage, we can achieve great things as one unified community.
In joy with Mary,
Fr. Henry
