AND MILES TO GO . . .

by Bishop John C. Nienstedt

Sacrament of Reconciliation: Why Confess to a Priest?

One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive on my Catholic school or religious education visits is: "Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest?" Actually it is a great question because the answer to it involves the whole reason behind why Jesus established a Church and, therefore, why we are Catholics after all.

You recall the scene in Matthew 16:13-20 when Jesus asks the apostles at Caesarea Philippi what people are saying about him. That episode includes Jesus saying to Simon: "I for my part declare to you, you are ‘Rock’ (petrus), and on this rock I will build my church..." In Matthew 18:20, Jesus in discussing prayer with his disciples tells them: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst." Notice he didn’t say that when we are off on a mountainside or sitting beside a tranquil lake or even meditating alone in our room he would be present. No, Jesus proclaims that the only authentically verifiable place where we can be absolutely certain he is present is: "Where two or three are gathered" in his name. From these and other Scriptural texts we can be assured that Jesus intended to establish a Church as his abiding presence in the world. And to be sure that it was his presence, he breathed on that Church his Holy Spirit the very evening of his Resurrection. Again notice carefully where he places the priority as he imparts the Holy Spirit:

"Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive men’s sins,

they are forgiven them;

if you hold them bound,

they are held bound."

(John 20:22-23)

"Binding and loosing" implies an outsider’s judgment, it requires, therefore, the context of the Church, Jesus’ presence in the world.

Why would forgiveness be the first thing Jesus willed for his Church? Well, first of all, as we read in the curing of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12, forgiving sins is reserved to God alone. To say that a human being forgives his own sins or those of another is blasphemy. Secondly, Jesus’ whole ministry was about forgiveness, about healing, about making people whole again. So, if that was the primary concern for Jesus, it has to be the first priority for his Church.

A priest is ordained to stand "in the person of Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head." I personally was attracted to the priesthood because I believed it would be the best way I could help others to know God, to resolve their spiritual conflicts and to get to heaven. I always have thought that the image of Jesus as the "Divine Physician" or "Healer of Souls" provided an incentive for my priestly service. As doctors use medicine to cure physical ills, a priest employs the Holy Sprit to cure spiritual ills. In the sacrament of Confession, the priest is not there to scold or admonish, nor is he there out of curiosity to learn about your "dark side." No, the priest is there as "Another Christ" to offer comfort, counsel and above all forgiveness and healing.

Secondly, we have to confess our sins to a priest because, believe it or not, it is good for us. Those who have been successful in Alcoholics Anonymous will tell you that one cannot begin to be cured until one admits out loud to another, "I am an alcoholic." There is a real difference between thinking something in our heads and speaking it in words. Once an idea is articulated (i.e. a word spoken in anger) in speech, it takes on a life of its own. Likewise, I may think I am sorry for an evil action, but until I ask for forgiveness in words I really do not experience the effect of that sorrow. But once I admit I’ve done wrong, then the admission becomes tangible and it can be absolved. Also in admitting I am powerless to overcome my sin, I can turn to ask help from the One (i.e. God) who has the power to evoke a conversion.

Thirdly, as Americans we have been heavily influenced by the Protestant notion of "predestination" that was so heavily emphasized by Luther and Calvin. They taught that as believers we fall under the influence of God’s eternal judgment which already knows who among us will inherit eternal glory and who will receive eternal damnation. In previous generations, people of faith worried over the "damnation" aspect. Today, most everyone feels he or she is already destined for salvation. Thus, they reason, "What difference does it make what I do or don’t do? I’m ultimately going to heaven, God won’t stop me."

What complicates this situation even further is a superficial understanding of "sin" as a violation of a rule or an external law. Sin rather is a failure to live up to my baptismal call to love God above all things and my neighbor as myself. Sin is hurting someone I love. Sin is relational. So when I wallow in self-pity or indulge in gratifying my senses, when I prefer to go shopping rather than participating in Sunday Mass, when I intentionally ignore the needs of the world’s or my neighborhood’s poor, when I invoke God’s name or his damnation on a colleague in a conflictual situation, I sin. That is to say, by this act, I have harmed the baptismal covenant relationship I have with God as well as harmed my relationship with another and upturned my own sense of spiritual well-being.

So, the question, "Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest?" is a great question because it’s answer explains why we need the Church, why we have to admit our wrongs in words, why we cannot presume we are already saved or damned and why sin is not the same as breaking the speeding limit or running a stop sign.

This Sacrament over time has been called Penance, Reconciliation and Confession. But whatever we call it, that encounter is a meeting in time with the Merciful Jesus, the Divine Physician. It offers such a powerful assistance to our spiritual growth, why not use it? Yes, why not indeed!

God bless you!

Falta Mucho por Recorrer

Por el obispo John C. Nienstedt

Una de las preguntas más frecuentes que recibo en mis visitas a las escuelas católicas o de educación religiosa es: "¿Porqué tengo que contarle mis pecados a un sacerdote?" Realmente es una excelente pregunta ya que su respuesta implica toda la razon del porque Jesús estableció una Iglesia, y por consiguiente, porque somos católicos después de todo.

Recuerdan en San Mateo 16:13-20 cuando Jesús le pregunta a sus apóstoles en Cesarea de Filipo de lo que decían sobre él? Dicho episodio incluye lo que Jesús le dice a Simon: "Y yo te digo que tú eres Pedro, y sobre esta piedra voy a construir mi Iglesia..." En San Mateo 18:20, cuando Jesús conversaba con sus discipulos, él les decia: "Porque donde dos o tres se reúnen en mi nombre, allí estoy yo en medio de ellos." Observen que él no dijo que cuando estamos sentados en la ladera de la montaña, sentado en un lago tranquilo o quizas meditando solo en nuestro cuarto, él estaría presente. No, Jesús proclama que el único lugar autenticamente comprobable donde podamos estar absolutamente seguros de su presencia es: "Donde dos o tres se reúnen" en su nombre. De estos y de otros textos podemos estar seguros que Jesús quizo establecer una Iglesia, su presencia en el mundo. Y para estar seguros que fue su presencia, lo infundió como su Espíritu Santo a su iglesia esa misma noche de su resurrección. Observen con cuidado donde pone su prioridad mientras él imparte el Espíritu Santo.

Reciban el Espíritu Santo.

A quienes ustedes perdonen los pecados;

les quedarán perdonados;

y a quienes no se los perdonen,

les quedarán sin perdonar. (San Juan 20:22-23)

"atar y desatar" implica un juicio externo, por ende, requiere el contexto de la Iglesia, la presencia de Jesús en el mundo.

¿Porqué el perdón sería la primera tarea que Jesús quizo para su iglesia? Bien, primeramente, al leer en San Marcos 2:1-12, la sanación del paralítico, perdonar los pecados es reservado por Dios solamente. Decir que el ser humano perdona sus propios pecados o el de los demas es blasfemia. En segundo lugar, todo su ministerio se basa en el perdon, en la sanación, y en el de restaurar la buena relación entre Dios y el hombre. Así pues, si eso fué la prioridad de Jesús, eso tiene que ser la primera prioridad para su Iglesia.

El sacerdote se ordena para estar "en lugar de Jesucristo, a la cabeza de la Iglesia."

Lo que me atrajo del sacerdocio es que creí que sería la mejor manera para ayudar a otros a conocer a Dios, a resolver sus conflictos espírituales y para que vayan al cielo. Siempre he pensado que la imagen de Jesús es como el "Doctor Divino" o "El Sanador de Almas" eso me incentivo a mi servicio sacerdotal. Asi como los doctores utilizan las medicinas para curar enfermedades físicas, el sacerdote emplea el Espíritu Santo para curar las las enfermedades espírituales. Durante el sacramento de la confesión, el sacerdote no esta para renegar, reprender, ni para enterarse del "lado oscuro" de alguien. El sacerdote esta como "otro Cristo" para ofrecer consolar, aconsejar y sobretodo para perdonar y sanar.

Así pues, la pregunta, "¿Porqué tengo que contarle mis pecados a un sacerdote?" buena pregunta ya que su respuesta explica el porque necesitamos a la iglesia, el porque tenemos que admitir nuestros errores con palabras, el porque no podemos presumir que ya hemos sido salvados o condenados y el porque decir que el pecado no es lo mismo como el de manejar más del límite de velocidad o pasarse una señal de alto.

Con el correr del tiempo este sacramento se le ha llamado penitencia, reconciliación y confesión. Lo que le llamenos, ese encuentro es una reunión con el misericordioso Jesús, el médico divino. Aquello ofrece una asistencia tan poderoso a nuestro crecimiento espíritual, ¿y porqué no utilizarlo? Si, ¿porqué no?

¡Que Dios los Bendiga!