Third Sunday of Advent - Year C - 13th December 2009

Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Far fewer people go to confession frequently (or even regularly) than once was the case. I wonder if it might be because, during the last 50 years or so, we have discovered a new God - the God whose steadfast love endures for ever. I wonder if we have learned to love the God of Isaiah whose passion is to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to give to those who mourn a garland instead of ashes and to clothe Creation with a mantle of praise (Isaiah 61:1-3). Perhaps we have discovered the God of Jesus, the God in whose name he came to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10) - and that we feel we have been found. We dwell with the One who dwells among us (John 1:14), the one who copes with all that weighs on our hearts.

It might also be that, in recent years, people have been encouraged to develop a more mature understanding of sin. The emphasis is now on being more honest, in contrast to the human temptation to disguise and hide away from failings, and to become more Christ-centred in relationships with others. The fact that the sacrament is more usually known as reconciliation suggests that a relationship is repaired through grace rather than confession solely being about listing our faults.

Our parish has a Service of Reconciliation each year in Advent (and again in Lent). These services are opportunities to celebrate the Sacrament with the parish community. They are reminders that we are all part of one human family living together and sharing responsibility for the ways in which our world is sinful. We ask God to help us to see how we have harmed our brothers and sisters. We seek God's forgiveness for our failure to act on behalf of poor and marginalised communities and we ask for help to commit ourselves to working for a better world for all.

Our parish Advent Service of Reconciliation will take place on Wednesday, 16th December, at 7:30 pm. If you do not regularly come to these services — or if you have not celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a while, why not consider coming along. Our children are ready to accept the idea of reconciliation from their teachers and catechists; coming along to celebrate the sacrament as a family with people of all ages in the parish will set an important example for them.