Cervantes: With Apocalypse in sight, no priests for Confession?

THE Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession is layered with thick dust... at the dust bin at that. The Covid-19 pandemic is not wholly to blame. Even before the dreaded virus struck, most priests rarely reminded the faithful about the need to avail themselves of the sacrament so as to rid themselves of any mortal sin before receiving the Holy Eucharist, and that, otherwise, sacrilege, another serious sin, is committed.

But then, Covid-19 has made the situation even worse because many priests seem to literally flee from the sacrament, for fear of contamination. Even at the Apung Mamamacalulu shrine in Angeles City where I used to confess every Friday (as it was the only church I knew where priests at times adhere to scheduled confessions), I have not received any response to my days-old query on confessions at its Facebook account.

This situation would likely be a cause of concern for those who believe the prophecies of mystic Fr. Michel Rodrigue, who in his talk before an American audience last year, urged his audience (perhaps the faithful?) to go to confession even before this year, 2020. Did he know what Covid-19 would do to the sacrament? Was he hinting at an apocalypse calling for the faithful to be in a state of grace?

It is a sacrament whose importance is reflected in John 20: 19-20: “On the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’"

So with the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession now seemingly a species vanished and with the Catholic Catechism saying “Penance requires . . . the sinner to endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction,” how cope?

On this Catholic prescription: I don’t think it should not be taken too literally. Otherwise, those who have no capacity for the use of lips for reasons outside their power would never be absolved by the priest from his or her sins. This has led me to propose that penitents be asked to write down their sins for handing over to the confessor. Or even better, the penitent could be asked to list down the transgressions over a notepad app on his phone, as the list is more readily erased after confession. Having read the sins, the priest can opt to just assign some penance and extend absolution without the penitent even opening lips. In this way, means of Covid-19 threat is greatly minimized. I relayed the proposal via the Apu shrine Facebook account, but I have not received any reaction yet.

But in the event of a descending apocalypse and the lack of living beings in the confessional, I can not but seek light from Pope Francis. In the midst of Covid-19 sweeping Italy, he was quoted to have said: “If you cannot find a priest to confess to, speak directly with God, your Father, and tell Him the truth. Say, ‘Lord, I did this, this, this. Forgive me,’ and ask for pardon with all your heart.”

He stressed, however, that Catholics must still perform an act of contrition and promise to go to confession later. “And immediately you will return to a state of grace with God,” he then added.

“As the catechism teaches,'you can draw near to God’s forgiveness without having a priest at hand.' Think about it. This is the moment,” the Pope also said.

This is reassuring. Still, the current situation makes me realize more the value of confession in the confessional because the effort in resorting to this (especially when I have to convince a reluctant priest that I could fall dead anytime) is as reassuring that I indeed have the needed remorse for an authentic absolution.

And so let me proceed with the series on excerpts from the Manuscript of Purgatory, a historical document on the 19th-century conversation between then living Sr. Mary of the Cross and the deceased Sr. Mary Gabriel who was still then in Purgatory. This time, I am sharing only the counsels of Sr. Mary Gabriel which I deem very important for us in the face of daily trials.

In November 1880, Sr. Mary Gabriel said: “ When you have to reprove anyone who has committed a small or even a grave fault, do so with great gentleness. Be firm when the fault demands it, say few words, and never speak when in a passion, for then the reproof will harm the soul of both the one receiving it and the one giving it. Avoid calling attention to former faults, especially when correcting children. This is a common mistake and very displeasing to God, and those who do it are wrong. How do they know that it has not already been pardoned? Then why refer to it again? God has not set us such an example. Our own sins should constantly humble us and we should weep over them in the bitterness of our hearts before the Lord, but we should never refer to the past sins of another....

“If you have any difficulty, accept it with resignation because it is permitted by Our Lord who, from the evil He permits, knows how to draw the greatest good. Kneel before the Tabernacle and there offer to Jesus the trials of your soul, which at times almost seem unbearable. His Heart will lighten everything. If, on the contrary, you have some joy, especially that happiness which one tastes occasionally in the service of God, accept it in the spirit of humility and gratitude, and remember that the earth is not a place of rest but rather a land of exile, of hard work, and of all kinds of sufferings....

“The more you detach yourself from earthly things, the more will Jesus shower His choicest graces and Divine caresses upon you. You will often feel quite indifferent to things that formerly attracted you. God in His mercy permits this because He loves you and gradually wants to wean you from material things. That is the way God proceeds with souls that He reserves entirely for Himself. Our Lord permits such souls to become weary of things that are not for His interest, and they experience an aversion for all things that do not serve God's purpose. God permits this to empty their hearts of everything human, so that He may occupy them and fill them with His grace and love.”

(To be continued.)

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