Those who tolerate my preaching on a regular basis know my fondness for stories about saints. The same glories and virtues that people seek in the movies and in tales of heroism can be found in spades in the lives of the saints. Dragon slaying? Boom, St. George. Foiled assassination plots? Boom, St. Benedict. Governmental
subterfuge followed by gory execution for one’s principles? Boom, St. Edmund Campion. The list goes on.
One of the consistently amazing facets of the life of St. John Vianney that inspired me throughout my seminary formation was his propensity for sitting in the confessional for up to eighteen hours in a day. I found it amazing before ordination, and now with a few years under my belt, it’s even more incredible. I’ve said on several occasions that after about two hours in the confessional reality starts to warp and you’re not really sure what’s going on anymore. Eighteen consecutive hours on a regular basis must be nothing short of crushing, especially given how small and cramped his confessional was. How humbling it is to know that I share in the same priesthood of Jesus Christ that this man and so many other saintly priests did. It truly is a gift that I cannot merit and for which I can never sufficiently thank God.
While the common practice of confession has waned in recent years, the need never goes away. There is something not simply Catholic, but deeply human, in the need to bring our sins and transgressions before the Lord and be forgiven. Wounds must be healed, for that which is not transformed will be transmitted instead. That is why I am taking up a practice that I have seen other priests employ, the Day of Grace. On Friday, December 20, there will be a priest in the confessional at OLR from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm. It won’t always be me, as I should probably at least grab a sandwich and a bathroom break from time to time, as my personal holiness is exponentially less than the Cure of Ars. But while Mass and adoration are going on in the main body of the Church, sins will be being forgiven in the back.
I ask that you prayerfully consider doing two things. First, if you haven’t been to confession in some time, please take the time to bring your sins to the Lord and find healing from Him before Christmas. Come to me, come to Fr. Lambert, go to the
Cathedral or St. Xavier downtown; whatever it takes. It makes an immeasurable difference. Second, if there is someone in your life that you think would benefit from this, please invite them to come on December 20. We are all in need of God’s healing. It is my hope to be able to consistently clear more time in my schedule so that confessions are more regular in the region. We can’t be surprised if people don’t make this a priority in their lives if every parish in the area only has confessions for an hour or less once a week. This is a start, but it’s not the end. Because we work in the Lord’s vineyard, everything that we budget, be it time, money, or energy, is a theological statement. Making the sacraments a priority says something about who we are as a region, and who we want to be.
Know of my prayers for you in this Advent season, and please pray for all three of our parish communities to grow closer to Christ in holiness now and always.
Prayers always,
Fr. McC
Day of Grace
Friday, December 20
7:00 am-7:00 pm
Our Lady of the Rosary
Mass, Adoration & Confessions