Living the gift of indulgence with joy and fullness
One of the conditions for receiving the Jubilee indulgence is to approach the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Reconciliation with God, although it is a gift of his mercy, involves a process in which the individual is involved through personal commitment and the Church through its sacramental ministry.
The path of reconciliation has its center in the sacrament of Penance, but even after the forgiveness of sin, obtained through this sacrament, human beings remain marked by certain βresidual effectsβ resulting from the sins they have committed, which do not make them completely open to grace and, precisely for this reason, they need purification, which, by virtue of Christβs grace, they can obtain through the gift of indulgence.
But, as we know, going to confession can be difficult for those who, for various reasons, have allowed a long time to pass since the last time they received the Fatherβs embrace in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us reflect together on this sacrament.
Why go to confession?
βI donβt go to confession because I donβt have timeβ¦ and besides, I donβt know what to say!β; βI donβt confess to a priest because he is a sinner just like meβ; βI donβt go to confession because I always fall back into the same sins anywayβ; βI donβt go to confession because Iβm ashamed to tell my sins to someone elseβ; βI donβt confess to a priest because I already confess directly to Godβ; βI donβt go to confession because my parish priest never has timeβ: these are some of the reasons why so many people avoid the sacrament of Confession, now more correctly called the βsacrament of Reconciliation.β
The Holy Father offers us a wonderful opportunity for the renewal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation through the Jubilee. It is important, however, to approach this sacrament with the right motivation: βI feel like a sinner, and I want to meet the merciful Lordβ; βI feel the need for the Father's embraceβ; βI want to begin a journey of conversion and new lifeβ; βI realize that I love the Lord too little and decide to draw closer to him, to love him more and better.β
The sacraments βare the place of God's closeness and tenderness toward humanity; they are the concrete way God has conceived and desired to come to meet us, to embrace us, without being ashamed of us and our limitations.β
Among all the sacraments, βthe Sacrament of Reconciliation makes God's merciful face present with special effectiveness: it gives it concrete expression and continually manifests it, without ceasing. Let us never forget this, whether as penitents or confessors: there is no sin that God cannot forgive! None! Only what is withheld from divine mercy cannot be forgiven, just as someone who shelters from the sun cannot be illuminated or warmed by itβ (Pope Francis).
In the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, what matters most is the personal encounter with Christ the Savior and, in him, the merciful Father's embracing blessing.
At the heart of the sacramental celebration is not our sin, but the mercy of God, which is infinitely greater than any of our sins.Β
And you, how do you experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Tell us in the comments?
