By Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ
“If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing” 1 John 1:9
A Catholic went to another country for Easter. When he came to a church, it was already very crowded. But he managed to find a place in the corner. He sat down and started to get ready for the service. At this time, other people also approached the area and said: “There is space next to you. Please move up a bit,” so he moved. Other parishioners came a while later and asked him to move up again. So he moved further and further, only to find that he was on a row of seats for the ones who were going to make confession.
He thought to himself: Wow, confession! No! I am not sure how long it’s been since I made my confession last, and I am not prepared for it. I don’t know what I’m going to ask the priest to forgive me for. But it seems like I have to ask forgiveness for everything. I cannot simply go in and just say to the priest, ‘If there are sins I have forgotten to mention, Father, please give me your absolution!’ Then I will be scolded by the priest for sure. So he stood up and was going to leave at once, but it happened to be his turn to go to confession. Should he leave at that moment, he would certainly draw the attention of the other parishioners. So he plucked up his courage and walked into the confessional.
He knelt down, made the sign of the Cross and then stopped. It was because he could not remember what he was supposed to do next! Sensing the silence, the priest asked him, “When was the last time you went to confession?” The parishioner suddenly tensed up, for it had been two years, if not three. He thought to himself: I have attended Mass every week, but I did not go for confession! Why would I do that? The priest would definitely rebuke me!
Then he heard the voice of the priest filled with kindness asking him, “Don’t you remember?” He stammered that it had been about two or three years, and then expecting the priest to reprimand him! But the priest’s response really caught him by surprise and he did not know how to react to it.
“I thank you for coming for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for being so kind to God and to the Church. Welcome back to our family,” the priest said. The priest then proceeded to guide him through the process of making confession, helping him to examine himself, offering comfort and teaching him like an elder. And finally, of course, the priest absolved him of his sins.
He wept as the priest made the Act of Absolution. At that moment, he truly felt what it meant to have a “merciful Father in heaven”—the mercy and forgiveness of God.
This experience made him realise that there should be no shame in examining our faults, though it is not easy to face our sinfulness. Reviewing our lives allows us to experience God’s mercy and that he is waiting for us. It also helps us realise how we can come closer to God. It should better be done while being conscious of love and compassion, so that we can reflect honestly and courageously, knowing that we are really sinners yet loved by God.
