By John-boy
"Dear children! I invite you to open the door of your heart to Jesus as the flower opens itself to the sun. Jesus desires to fill your hearts with peace and joy. You cannot, little children, realize peace if your are not at peace with Jesus. Therefore, I invite you to confession so Jesus may be your truth and peace. So, little children, pray to have the strength to realize what I am telling you. I am with you and I love you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady of Medjugorje, January 25, 1995
Behind closed doors lies one of the most beautiful gifts God wants to give us.. Yet, often we are afraid.. What is probably the most difficult stumbling block any person encounters along their journey in life is the humility of confessing our sins.. the humble acknowledgment that I have sinned, that I have not always acted the way that I should.. That personal recognition that it is true, I fall short of the glory of God..
For many laity, visiting the confessional sits near the bottom of the priority list when it comes to putting our faith to practice.. I stayed away from the confessional for over a decade out of sure pride.. And like so many, I had all the excuses.. “Well, why do I have to confess my sins to a priest? Why can’t I just do it alone in prayer?” Yet, in this little room no larger than a broom closet is a most beautiful gift just waiting for me to receive..
That huge obstacle, that really difficult stumbling block, that really uncomfortable room with the little red/green light above it's door that I tend to shy away from called confessional calls out my name.. “Come to Me you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the greatest gifts the Church gives to us.. This precious Sacrament is the footing to our salvation.. It is in the confessional that we experience the saving grace of Our Lord the most..
The priest does not judge us.. the priest will not say “shame on you.” No, he consoles us in our remorse and helps us to encounter once again the merciful Christ our Redeemer in the most intimate way just as we encounter Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist.. The priest is there to serve us.. to lead us the faithful flock to Christ..
When we enter into the confessional we enter heavily burdened with sin.. we are dirty.. we are filthy.. we are heavily burdened.. riddled with guilt.. we have offended our God at various moments in our daily walk.. and those offenses are weighing us down whether we realize it or not.. we want to be free! and so we are in great need of a wash down.. O' Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You... Jesus pours His most precious Blood over us.. The only way we can be free of this filth is through the mercy of Christ our Redeemer.. It is in the confessional that we take the plunge and literally fall into the merciful and loving arms of our Savior.. And just as the priest gives you the blessing and says “I absolve you of all your sins. Go in the peace of Christ” Jesus is standing right there saying, “I forgive you. Your sins are no more.”
"Dear children! Today I call you to prepare yourselves for the coming of Jesus. In a special way, prepare your hearts. May holy Confession be the first act of conversion for you and then, dear children, decide for holiness. May your conversion and decision for holiness begin today and not tomorrow. Little children, I call you all to the way of salvation and I desire to show you the way to Heaven. That is why, little children, be mine and decide with me for holiness. Little children, accept prayer with seriousness and pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady of Medjugorje, November 25, 1998
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