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A True Story On Reconciliation
- By Anne Van Tilburg
- Published 01/31/2009
- General Short Stories
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I hope this sharing of my experience is helpful, especially to my brother priests and those who prepare people for the sacrament of reconciliation.
I have been a priest for thirty-three years and a preacher of parish missions and retreats. During my first year of priestly ministry, I was sent to a small rural parish to preach a mission. On Saturday afternoon, I went to the church to hear confessions, as we used to say back then.
The church was empty, and I sat in the small, dark confessional wondering why no one was coming. I opened my breviary and began to pray. A long time passed without anyone coming into the confessional. I was a little disappointed that no one seemed to want to go to confession, when suddenly I heard a voice say:
"What are you doing here?"
The voice was so clear that I thought someone was outside my confessional talking to me. I pulled the curtain aside, but found no one there! The church was completely empty. I sat back once again and the voice came a second time:
"What are you doing here? You have no right to hear what you are about to hear. Only I have a right to hear what is said in this place!"
I suddenly realized Who was speaking to me.
"They are coming to Me, not you. Only I can forgive their sins. You are given a great privilege to share in the most intimate moments between Me and My people."
A great peace came over me and a deep sense of awe. I realized in that moment that celebrating the sacrament of confession was not a 'job' a priest did, but an awesome responsibility and privilege. Since that day, I have always loved to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. I find that my knowledge of God deepens through being His instrument. I am amazed at ways god uses me during confession, and the blessing it is ti those who approach this sacrament with faith, hope and humility.
Source: Fr. Edward Wolanski. Ave Maria Magazine.
Humility is the acknowledgment of the Truth. God is the Truth. Humility is knowing who God is, the Creator, and that we are His creatures.
Saint Anthony of Egypt encountered the Devil in the desert. He said to the Saint: "Anthony, you pray half of the night, but I never sleep. Anthony, you fast often, but I never eat. But oh, Anthony, you have humility and I cannot touch you!"
Humility is not a weakness, to deny our talents is not humility either, but to acknowledge that our talents have been give to us by God. Humility is to acknowledge that God is the Author of everything, our being, our talents, our possessions. Humility is to thank Him for all that we are, and all that we have. Humility is the virtue which makes us holy!
No humility, no holiness.
Anne Van Tilburg
I have been a priest for thirty-three years and a preacher of parish missions and retreats. During my first year of priestly ministry, I was sent to a small rural parish to preach a mission. On Saturday afternoon, I went to the church to hear confessions, as we used to say back then.
The church was empty, and I sat in the small, dark confessional wondering why no one was coming. I opened my breviary and began to pray. A long time passed without anyone coming into the confessional. I was a little disappointed that no one seemed to want to go to confession, when suddenly I heard a voice say:
"What are you doing here?"
The voice was so clear that I thought someone was outside my confessional talking to me. I pulled the curtain aside, but found no one there! The church was completely empty. I sat back once again and the voice came a second time:
"What are you doing here? You have no right to hear what you are about to hear. Only I have a right to hear what is said in this place!"
I suddenly realized Who was speaking to me.
"They are coming to Me, not you. Only I can forgive their sins. You are given a great privilege to share in the most intimate moments between Me and My people."
A great peace came over me and a deep sense of awe. I realized in that moment that celebrating the sacrament of confession was not a 'job' a priest did, but an awesome responsibility and privilege. Since that day, I have always loved to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. I find that my knowledge of God deepens through being His instrument. I am amazed at ways god uses me during confession, and the blessing it is ti those who approach this sacrament with faith, hope and humility.
Source: Fr. Edward Wolanski. Ave Maria Magazine.
Humility is the acknowledgment of the Truth. God is the Truth. Humility is knowing who God is, the Creator, and that we are His creatures.
Saint Anthony of Egypt encountered the Devil in the desert. He said to the Saint: "Anthony, you pray half of the night, but I never sleep. Anthony, you fast often, but I never eat. But oh, Anthony, you have humility and I cannot touch you!"
Humility is not a weakness, to deny our talents is not humility either, but to acknowledge that our talents have been give to us by God. Humility is to acknowledge that God is the Author of everything, our being, our talents, our possessions. Humility is to thank Him for all that we are, and all that we have. Humility is the virtue which makes us holy!
No humility, no holiness.
Anne Van Tilburg