Passiontide

Today, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, begins Passiontide. In many parishes the crucifixes and statues will be veiled until the Easter Vigil to remind us that sin separates us from God and from Heaven, and that sin leaves us isolated and alone. These last two weeks of Lent are a time to enter in even more fully into the spirit of the season. If we have not been so faithful to our lenten penances and good works, it's a time to regroup. If we have yet to get to confession during this season, well, it's time to go. If you already have went to confession this Lent, it's time to go again. We can never confess to much or too many times.

Just the other day I was reading a few things about the value of frequent confession in an excellent book entitled Lukwarmness: The Devil in Disguise, by Francis Carvajal. Here is what he said regarding making a good confession:

Classical spiritual authors have handed down to us sixteen characteristics of a good Confession: simple, humble, pure, faithful, frequent, clear, discrete, voluntary, without boasting, integral, secret, sorrowful, prompt, firm, self accusatory, dispoing on to obedience. Normally, our confessions should be concise. We should say what has to be said without becoming unduly wordy. More than anything else, our confessions have to be done with a supernatural spirit. We are asking Christ Himself to forgive our sins. This attitude will help us to put aside that temptation concering what the priest will think of me...

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Confession should make us happy. Our Father God is awaiting us with open arms just like in the parable about the prodigal son. He is ready to run right up to us to prove his infinite paternal love.

My friends, get thee to confession.