The Sacrament of Reconciliation

We are living at a time when we need to take stock of our religious duties.

We go to church not because we have to but because we want to and need to. This awareness was more accentuated by the recent polemic following the European Court of Human Rights' decision to uphold a Finnish woman's wish to remove crucifixes from Italian schools.

We cannot take the crucifix on the wall for granted. That cross must remind all of us what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for all mankind. God's love for all is depicted on that cross.

The recent move in Mexico to get more people to go to confession was appreciated by many. People queued to receive this wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is needed by weak humanity. Many priests offered their time to help the penitents. In Medjugorje there are many spiritual healings because many people go to confession to the hundreds of priests who go there for the purpose.

A local TV programme recently covered the subject from all angles. One woman said she always took confession for granted because at school they were "made" to go to confession, especially before First Friday Mass, and she admitted she used to go because she got out of a lesson at school.

Others said that once they felt repentant, they did not see the need to tell another human about their transgressions. Some even said what if a priest leaves the priesthood? Would he still have to keep secret what he heard in the confessional?

This sacrament is well named as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. One feels better after receiving it. One feels one has reconciled with the Lord and be more receptive to the Body of Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Great saints like Curé d'Ars, St Jean Marie de Vianney, our Maltese Saint Ġorġ Preca and the very spiritual saint Padre Pio used to spend many hours in the confessional. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they evangelised among their many penitents. One cannot just go tell their sins, one has to repent and with the priest's help, convert. They change for a better spiritual life.

We are lucky to have many priests in our country. Many are well read and ready to help us in all situations. Let us appreciate this. Just as we attend medical clinics to heal the body, we must realise that our souls need healing from time to time and it is up to us to find time for this great necessity.