| The Rev. |
Lent is the springtime of the soul. It is a season of grace. A Christian’s observance of a holy Lent is an opportunity “to renew our life in the paschal mystery” according to the BAS liturgy for Ash Wednesday.
We are invited at the beginning of Lent - Ash Wednesday falls on February 21 _ to make our observance through “self-examination, penitence, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.” (BAS p.282)
This Lent you might prayerfully consider celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation as part of your faithful observance. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a gift from the rich treasure of our Anglican tradition that is available to you at any time that you ask for it.
But some Anglicans have never heard of it, others discount it as of no relevance to the contemporary Christian, and a few treasure this “forgotten” sacrament.
To my mind, what keeps Anglicans away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation are a number of misconceptions. Let us discuss some of them.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an old fashioned, out-dated practice which has no relevance in contemporary society.
If you believe this, do you believe that sin is old-fashioned and irrelevant Is not each one of us constantly in need of reconciliation with God, others, our world and ourselves
Sin infects our lives and the lives of those around us. Sin corrupts, alienates, distorts, mars and pollutes all relationships. All creation needs healing and wholeness.
That redemption has been won for us through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Out-dated Old-fashioned The Sacrament of Reconciliation could not be more contemporary and relevant for our world which is crying out for healing and wholeness.
I don’t need to make my confession to a priest when I can talk directly to God myself.
During the Sacrament of Reconciliation the priest overhears the confession which is made to God. We know from the Gospels that Christ himself entrusted his disciples with authority. The priest is an icon and an instrument of God’s forgiveness.
| The confessional at St. James is a booth with two compartments. The penitant enters on the left and kneels; the priest sits on the right. However confession need not take place in a confessional, says the Rev. |
It is never the priest who forgives, but rather God in Christ through the ordained ministry of the priest. And be assured that every priest under the ‘seal of the sacrament’ can never reveal what is spoken.
Our tradition has always honoured and understood the mystery of grace when, after due preparation, we speak aloud our sins to God within the hearing of a priest.
Picture if you will the Gospel story of the prodigal son. “But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15.20)
My personal experience of making and hearing confession is profoundly shaped by this story. Christ kneels with us during the sacrament embracing and upholding us with his constant love.
At St. James, as in many Anglo-Catholic churches, there is a small enclosed booth called a confessional which can be used for the sacrament. However in the Anglican Church there is no requirement that confessions must be heard there. The Sacrament often takes places in a chapel, or in the priest’s office.
The hardest part of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the speaking aloud of our confession to a priest.
This is not usually true. Most of us find that it is the examination of conscience which is the most challenging part of confession. Good preparation before confession is essential.
One prepares by examining one’s conscience. At St. James we have a booklet people may use to help in this which is available on our web site (www.stjames.bc.ca) or from our office - an excerpt can be found on this page.
However, there are various ways of doing this, for example by reflecting upon certain passages of scripture and meditating on questions. One can also simply put one prayer to the Holy Spirit, ‘Lord reveal to me what you would have me confess’.
What can be very hard, however, is finding a priest with whom one feels comfortable to share in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A parishioner of St. James wrote to me on the subject recently. I quote with permission: “I think the majority of people, particularly with a first confession are uncomfortable with the interaction between confessor and penitent, and I can’t believe this is simply not an issue.”
It may be a challenge to find a priest one is comfortable with, but persevere. Clergy will do all that they can to help you. Please do not distance yourself from this sacrament for this reason.
I have never made regular confessions so I don’t see why I should consider it now!
In my Anglo-Catholic tradition, we are committed to a rule of life the purpose of which is the daily conversion of life by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the transformation of all life through the Holy Spirit by following our Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, when a regular part of our rule of life, is an opportunity to open our whole being and personality to the life-giving, life-transforming, grace of God. If we neglect making an examination of conscience at least as a weekly commitment in our rule of life we fail to exercise and enliven our conscience. Most of us in the daily round of our ordinary lives are overexposed to images, words and sensations which ultimately diminish the faculty of our conscience.
Over to you
Observe this season of Lent by renewing your rule of life through making a regular examination of your conscience and explore celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Confession based upon an examination of conscience, the making of a well prepared general confession, and celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation ensures our ongoing conversion into that life for which Christ died.
If you would like resources for an examination of conscience or have any other questions,you are welcome to contact Fr.
Questions to ask oneself to prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation