Confession. Archaic, outdated or a positive experience?
The human condition itself allows us to see our own faults but yet many times it does not like to be told what we are doing has been wrong.
Another part of Confession that I struggle with, is that although something may not be “wrong” to society today, it is to the Church. Inevitably it is easier for me to ignore these teachings, not admit my own faults and turn my back on the Sacrament.
Recently I have begun a personal journey to return towards that Sacrament that I left by the wayside, some twelve years ago. “Why go to Confession?” is a question I’ve been struggling with since my early teens.
In Religion class in a non-denominational school, taught by an ex-seminarian, I was provided with the “ammo” - as I like to call it - to argue with my parents and not to go to Confession again. It was here that I learned the “history of Confession” prior to the Reformation. I was told the Church said “Pay your way into heaven” to the uneducated peasants of the time. The cost of your penance would not depend on your ability to pay, instead on the state of funding, or lack thereof for the parish priest of the time. This completely disgusted my teenage self.
I hadn’t decided to take the responsibility of researching the reforms that were made within the church to combat such awful conduct within their rankings. Of course, it suited my opinions just fine. It suited purely because at the age of sixteen, these medieval habits were simply another quill in my arsenal to argue with my parents as to my reluctance to attend Mass and down-right refusal to go to Confession.
Fast forward ten years, when I actually made the effort to take a step back and research the finer details of Confession, I chose to view it in a more positive than negative light, chose to be open as opposed to closed minded. I found that by choosing to take my time to discuss with people their views, it opened my eyes to a relationship with God that I had never even allowed myself to imagine possible in the negative image of the Sacrament that I had formed in my own mind.
What I have begun to find is something much more positive. I have met with people who have hated the experience and those who see no issue. It has been a very interesting experience to say the least.
What have I gained from these discussions? I have come to the conclusion that Confession is something that is utterly personal. I have learned from others and as a result have been urged to become more open to the Sacrament.
My discussions with people have been eye opening.
In a society that urges one to live in the moment and become more aware of your actions and omissions, isn’t the sacrament of Confession something that aids this in the moment living?
Many of the people that I spoke to said that Confession is what helps them make sense of daily life. That when preparing to confess their sins, it allows them to sit in quiet contemplation and reflect on their actions and omissions of the week or month previous. They ponder how they could better themselves. Having done this, they then get the opportunity to talk to someone about this and help them to tackle life again and to better themselves.