The Joy of Repentance
This weekend in my homily, I highlighted the importance and gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Last January, I had the privilege of attending a Holy Desire retreat with about 50 other priests from all over the country in St. John’s, Florida. The retreat was conducted by Dr. Bob Schuchts and the John Paul II Healing Center. It was a profound experience for me to participate in this retreat and hear the testimonies and experiences of other priests as we acknowledged our own brokenness and desire for deeper healing and a more intimate relationship with the Lord.
A huge component of the retreat was breakout sessions with other priests and members of the team to address areas of brokenness and trauma in our lives, and to pray for the healing power of the Holy Spirit to set us free so that we can be better priests. As we prayed, and I listened to the presentations and testimonies of other priests and the challenges they were facing, I knew I had to pull all of the blessings and graces of the week together by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I had a beautiful confession at the end of the retreat and left feeling joy and liberation. It was definitely “amazing grace”!
Confession is indeed a great grace, and Fr. Woodland and I want to be available to help you experience this healing Sacrament. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to celebrate Reconciliation, and feel free to drop by during the regularly scheduled times at our parishes.
I have asked the bulletin editors to include a resource on this Sacrament to help guide and prepare you. It is limited, but there are many other great resources available on the web. Personally, I try to use Scripture to help me prepare, and I have some favorite passages. I’ll end with one from St. Paul’s first letter to St. Timothy that highlights five things we can strive to embrace.
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