Be Reconciled 

Suddenly we are launched into Holy Week, when life in the Church intensifies – including the confession schedule. Over the next several days priests will hear an enormous number of confessions, please God. It begins with “Reconciliation Monday,” when priests around the diocese will hear confessions from 3-9pm at certain designated parishes. That day, most of the priests here in Stamford will spend at least two hours (often more) hearing confessions at either St. Cecilia’s or St. Mary’s. On Tuesday, confessions will be heard at Holy Spirit Church from 7-8:30pm. At St. Cecilia they will be heard on Wednesday from 7-9pm. On Good Friday we will also offer confessions at St. Cecilia from 6-7pm, before Stations of the Cross. Why the great emphasis on confession? It’s because this is the time of year when the Church calls upon us to remember the awesome fact that the Lord desires to bring forth life where there is no life. At the Annunciation He brings forth life in the womb of the Virgin. On Easter He brings forth life from the tomb. In the confessional He brings forth life in the soul of one who is spiritually dead because of sin. This is the great mission of the Lord Jesus in the world, which He accomplishes through His sacrifice on the cross and His glorious resurrection. At baptism, we first receive a share in His victory. Confession, along with the other sacraments, sustains us in that victory. 

With that said, here are a couple of confession tips that I hope you will find helpful this week and beyond. 1) Be prepared. Before entering the confessional, we should spend some time examining our consciences so we know what sins we will confess to the priest. We also should know the proper way to begin our confession, saying: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [x amount of time] since my last confession. I am single/married. And these are my sins.” It’s important to remember that we must confess all serious (mortal) sins that we’re aware of if we want to be validly forgiven. We may also confess venial (non-mortal) sins, though confession is not strictly necessary to be forgiven for them. Confessing venial sins is good because it helps us to form our consciences, to be strengthened against future temptations, and to be healed so we can progress in our lives with the Lord. 2) Be Concise: A good confession should not be so vague that the priest does not know what you’re confessing, but it also does not need to be filled with many details. All that’s needed is the expression of the kind of sin committed and the approximate frequency of the sin. It’s important to resist the temptation to couch our confession with explanations or to confess in a way that makes it sound like something positive. Instead of saying: “I’m working on being more patient with my spouse,” say: “I lost my patience many times with my spouse.” 3) Pray for the Priest: Hearing confessions and absolving sins is one of the great privileges of those who have been ordained to the ministerial priesthood, and there are moments in the confessional when the presence of God is palpable. But confessions also can take a lot out of you. That’s why, prior to hearing confessions, I always say a prayer that people who come to make their confessions that day might encounter Jesus rather than my own fragile humanity. 4) Just go: Stop putting it off. Just go. 

posted 3/28/26