Why Confess?

A Reflection on the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Eques

In the original spiritual saga, “The Quest for the Holy Grail” 150 knights set out from King Author’s court in search of the Holy Grail. Only three succeeded, only three achieved the “Grail.” Why was this? Before all these marvelous knights set out on this highest of all quests, the “white monk” addressed all the knights with these words.



“Hear my words, my lord knights of the Round Table, who have vowed to seek the Holy Grail! Nascien the hermit sends you word by me that none may take maid or lady with him on this Quest without falling into mortal sin; nor shall anyone set out unless he be shriven or seek confession, for no man may enter so high a service until he is cleansed of grievous sin and purged of every wickedness. For this is no search for earthly things but a seeking out of the mysteries and hidden sweets of Our Lord and the divine secrets which the most high Master will disclose to that blessed knight whom He has chosen for His servant from among the ranks of chivalry: He to whom He will show the marvels of the Holy grail, and reveal that which the heart of man could not conceive nor tongue relate.”


The three knights who achieved the Holy Grail were sirs Galahad, Percival, and Bors. They among all their peers were successful because they heeded the instructions of “Nascien” from the lips of the “white monk.” They confessed their sins before beginning their quest and kept themselves pure and chaste throughout their Quest for the Holy Grail. They took every opportunity during their journeys and adventures to receive absolution, confessing their sins and to receive the Holy Eucharist from the hands of every priest that God placed along their path. This enabled them to resist all temptations to act impurely or unchastely, and to act honorably in all their adventures. Sir Galahad was considered the most holy of all the knights because he never sinned against purity or chastity, neither before nor during his quest. He was the most honorable of knights in every situation. He was seen as a reflection of the perfection of Jesus Christ the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Percival and Bors confessed their sins against purity and chastity and conquered all temptations against all holy virtues during their quest and for the remainders of their lives.

The lessons here are very powerful especially if we consider the other 147 knights who failed in their Quest for the Holy Grail. Most perished in their attempts or returned to court in shame. Each of us is actually on the same quest as the knights of the Arthur’s Court. Baptism was our first commissioning sending us forth in life to seek holiness all the days of our lives. We were strengthened in our Quest by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation. The best of spiritual guides urge us to receive frequent and regular absolution for our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and at least weekly the Sacrament of the Eucharist on the Lords Day. In this way, we imitate Sirs Galahad, Percival, and Bors. All Catholics have an obligation to seek holiness. They are encouraged by the church to confess their sins regularly and to confess all serious sins as soon as possible to be “worthy” to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Our individual quests though different are at the deepest level the same. Essentially, we seek perfection in the particular call we have received from God be it as layman or priest, which is the quest for the grail, the quest for holiness.

It is very difficult for us at times to confess our sins. The reasons are common to all. We are generally afraid to confess our sins because we are ashamed. This is a trick of the evil one to keep us from God’s forgiveness. The evil one tempts us to think that our sins are too awful to confess to a priest. He sometimes tempts us to rationalize our sins away, to excuse our failings, or to believe that our sins are not sins at all, because so many others do the same things. Remember that the evil one is the father of lies. Satan and his minions both human and fallen angelic are not dedicated to the truth. They are committed to convincing us that there is no truth. Therefore, we can decide for ourselves what is good and evil. “The serpent,” which tempted Adam and Eve, has tempted all men and women born in original sin, in this same manner. Adam and Eve committed the primal offence against the majesty of God the only author of Truth. We have inherited this sin in our damaged nature. We repeat this sin whenever we refuse to confess our sins or deny their very existence.

Here are some reasons that may keep us from the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
1. Fear and shame, keep us away from this healing sacrament because we are afraid of what the priest might say or how he may react to our sins. We some how have convinced ourselves that the priest will be angry with us or scold us for our sins. We are ashamed of our weakness manifested by our sins. Truly, anger is a rare response of any priest. It is actually a good idea for this reason to confess our sins to a priest who knows us; he will realize that we are more than our sins.

2. We have convinced our selves that our sins are not sins. We rationalize them away and try to convince ourselves that the church, which has 2000 years of knowledge and experience concerning human nature, is wrong and some how “I” am correct. This is very much in the evil spirit of the Original Sin that we are tempted to commit repeatedly. In this way, the evil one keeps us from the forgiveness of God and His healing grace. We can combat this with humility, which enables our consciences to reveal the truth to us and enable us to humble our selves before the priest who in Persona Christi lovingly and mercifully waits to absolve our sins.

3. We have been away from confession for so many months and even years that we cannot bring ourselves to overcome the inertia or the accumulative resistance of our shame and guilt. It is time for us to remember that shame and guilt does not come form God but from ourselves and the evil one who scripture says stands before God day and night (always) accusing us. The evil one wants us to be in this petrified condition for as long as possible even unto death, so that we will never ask for forgiveness for our sins and thus be his forever, separated form God by our sins for eternity.

All of the above are related and intertwined. The remedy as always is the grace of God. Relying on His grace, we can overcome all these obstacles to the forgiveness of our sins. We need only ask for that grace. The Lord will indeed hear and answer our prayers for the strength and humility to confess our sins. The priest will certainly be impressed with the courage we exhibit in confessing our sins completely and sincerely not holding anything back from the light and forgiveness of Christ.

Let us pray for one another that we will have the grace to confess our sins allowing no place in our hearts and souls for sin to hide or evil take root. Let us shine the light of Christ into the hidden corners of our souls and allow no darkness to remain. We will then experience the joy of forgiveness and the healing of our souls, just as the prodigal son who returned to His loving Father. Our Father in heaven stands waiting, and watching for our return home with arms wide open to embrace us with His love and forgiveness.