Getting Ready for Lent

Dear Parishioners,

As I have said many times before, I actually look forward to the beginning of Lent. I see it as a special time to be introspective, to think about where I am right now in my relationship with Jesus, and to attempt to make some positive changes that I hope will result in a growth in holiness.

Traditionally, the practices recommended during this season are prayer, fasting and almsgiving (charity).

How can I pray better? I can begin by finding and keeping a set time each day to pray. (My own preference is praying in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.) I also should be reading and reflecting daily on the Sacred Scriptures, praying the Rosary, making the Stations of the Cross and reading an inspiring Catholic book regularly. When I am driving in the car, if I do not take advantage of some quiet, I like to put on an informative or uplifting Catholic talk or discussion to listen to while driving. It certainly beats the garbage that we often find on the radio.

Fasting includes food but should go beyond simply not eating. The only two fast days (one simple meal) required by the Church during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent are also days of abstinence (no meat). However, we can also fast from things like the TV, the computer/internet, video games, the radio, from smoking or drinking, from superfluous shopping, etc. In essence, we can do without—make an act of self-denial—and try to incorporate into our lives something more spiritually beneficial.

How charitable am I? Do I regularly contribute to and support my church and diocese? Do I have some other favorite charity to which I give? Do I volunteer my time or my skills to help others without seeking compensation or recognition? Do I call (or visit?) the sick or the elderly? Do I think of others more than myself?

The practices that I observe for Lent can really become an opportunity to change my way of living. I can incorporate more permanently various ways of behaving that open my heart and my life more completely to God. I can turn my life over to Jesus and take up my cross daily and follow Him. (See Luke 9:23)

I realize that I am a sinner continually in need of the mercy of God. Like all humans (except Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary, of course!), my life has not been without sin. I am not proud of this. Therefore, I should seriously consider some acts of penance during Lent in reparation for my sins. Making a thorough, heartfelt sacramental confession is a good way to start.

We should be spiritually mature enough to realize that the more we keep trying and letting God control our lives, the more we open ourselves to His grace of conversion. Conversion is a lifelong process of turning away from sin and turning towards the Gospel message.

On Ash Wednesday, when the ashes are placed on our foreheads reminding us both of our own mortality and the call to do penance, do we actually intend to change, or is this just an act of empty show? Only God knows what’s in our hearts and how much we really do love Him. 

Please attempt to make this Lent a time of deep, spiritual conversion.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Call to Repentance

 

St. John the Baptist

Dear Parishioners,

During the second Sunday of Advent each year, St. John the Baptist is featured in the gospel reading. His call is to repentance and to be baptized as an outward sign of one’s turning away from sin. He is an austere figure who lived in the desert and attracted many from the surrounding region to hear his message of repentance.

The Church gives us this figure during Advent to encourage all of us to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, who we proclaim is Jesus of Nazareth, by repenting of our sins and a by conversion of the way we live our lives—from sin to righteousness.

From a Catholic perspective, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession) is the best way to accomplish this today. All of the sacraments impart to us Grace, which is the supernatural help that God gives us by an intimate experience of His Divine Presence. Jesus interacts with us in every sacrament and raises us beyond the ordinary with His Divine help.

Fortunately, since I have been at St. Thomas More Parish over the past five years, I have witnessed more people availing themselves of this sacrament on a regular basis. I certainly promote this practice. When I was growing up, the religious sisters who taught me encouraged monthly confession. We were told to examine our consciences each night before we went to bed and then say an act of contrition. Moreover, we were urged to get into the habit of monthly confession and to be sure to go as soon as possible if there was any serious (mortal) sin in our lives. Confession is required before receiving Holy Communion, if mortal sin is involved.

Some day we will come before the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:10) and will have to account for all we have done, good and bad. We will then see things as God sees them and will better comprehend the impact of our actions on others. Each time we take advantage of the sacrament of confession, we prepare for that Day of Judgment and are given the opportunity to repent now, to receive God’s forgiveness and to begin anew. It is the confession of our sins to Christ, through the instrument of the priest, who then gives us absolution in the name of Jesus Himself. The basis of this belief is Jesus’ own words to his apostles on Easter Sunday night:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (Jn. 20: 19-23)

So when you hear me urge everyone to make a sacramental confession during Advent, and to get into the habit of monthly confession, just think of me as continuing the work of St. John the Baptist today.

As long as there is sin, there will always be a call to repentance and conversion.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

“What Are You Giving Up for Lent?”

Dear Parishioners,

“What are you giving up for Lent?”

I have been asked this question many times in my life. I think very carefully before I respond. An easy answer would be to say something like chocolate, desserts or soda. Case closed. Many would be satisfied with this response. In my opinion, however, it seems that we need to look beyond this question to something deeper and more profound: How can I be changed for the better by my observance of Lent?

The Gospel reading of Ash Wednesday (Mt. 6:1-6, 16-18) reminds us of three traditional practices of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Lent should be a time for increased prayer. When I first began seeking his direction and guidance, my spiritual director at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary asked me to describe for him how I pray. For most people, including me, this is a very personal request. That’s between God and me! You are now invading my personal space!

How do I pray? (I will reluctantly let you have a glimpse at my inner sanctuary. Please keep this between you and me!)

It depends. Some elements are part of my daily routine. My most important prayer each day is the Mass. I deliberately try to pray the Mass. Over time Mass can sometimes become very routine for priests (and laity alike). Priests (and laity) can consciously or unconsciously just go through the motions and simply read the words that are printed in the Roman Missal. To pray the Mass is deliberate and intentional. It involves an act of the will and a conscious effort. It requires concentration.

I also pray my Liturgy of the Hours—a series of psalms, Scripture readings, intercessions and formal prayers—intended to sanctify the various hours of the day. Additionally, my personal goal is to include a rosary, some spiritual reading, and time (usually a holy hour) before the Blessed Sacrament each day. At various times in my life I have been drawn to centering prayer (a doorway to contemplation), charismatic prayer, devotional prayer (novenas, Stations of the Cross, rosary, etc.), intercessory prayer, meditation, and to whatever else the Holy Spirit leads me at any given time. Frequently I talk to God from the heart. Prayer is the means by which I hope to seek out God’s will, to know Him better and to be united with Him one day. Increasingly, it has become for me a time to be quiet and simply to listen to God. Despite all of the busyness of life, Lent should include time for increased prayer.

Fasting involves some self-denial—food or otherwise. In addition to not eating certain items that we may enjoy, we can “give up” watching TV, frivolous time on the computer, tablet or phone, unnecessary shopping, music in the car, and various other things that not only teach us some discipline and self-sacrifice but may free us up for more time for God and prayer. Two official fast days (from food) during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Almsgiving is a reminder for all of us to be charitable—with our money, of course—but also with our talents and with our time. What we do not spend frivolously on shopping, we can give to a personal charity. What we save by eating a simple meal, we can use to send a gift or flowers to an elderly homebound person to let him or her know that he or she is still loved. We can also volunteer our time on behalf of our church, in some civic organization, with a youth group or for some charitable cause. We can use the skills of our profession or trade pro bono.

What am I giving up for Lent this year?

This question is much too simplistic.  (And you might be sorry that you asked me!)

Fr. Ed Namiotka

 Pastor

Facing Your Demons

Dear Parishioners,

In today’s Gospel (Lk. 4: 1-13) we see Jesus tempted by the devil. I think the example of this series of temptations is a most valuable instruction for anyone desiring to take Lent seriously. Obviously the Church does as well, since the first Sunday of each Lent begins by recalling these temptations.

First, we see that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. Why would the Spirit lead Jesus into the desert? The desert is an austere place where a person must confront many harsh realities: severe weather, lack of comfortable amenities, silence and danger, as a start. When we are deprived of creature comforts, remove noisy distractions, and must face harsh realities, we can and should begin to realize the complete dependence that we have on Almighty God. We are put in a situation where the desert and its silence can become the place where we hear the voice of God more clearly and powerfully. And that is where Satan often begins to interfere as well.

Jesus fasted for forty days. Not only was he in the desert, but he also took on bodily penance. He was hungry. Why deprive ourselves of anything? If we live only for this world, then self-sacrifice, mortification, and penance seem ridiculous. However, denying oneself (and picking up the cross) was given as a condition for discipleship by Jesus (See Mt. 16:24). Discipline and self-sacrifice strengthen a person both physically and spiritually. A person becomes more prepared to live out the sacrificial love Jesus most perfectly demonstrated by His death on the cross.

Why, then, when we are trying to do something spiritually beneficial, do temptations arise? Let’s face this harsh reality head on: Satan and his followers hate anyone trying to serve the Lord and grow closer to Him. They will put any possible obstacle in our way to prevent this from happening.  We may be tempted to physical, earthly pleasure (food, drink, sex, drugs, and anything that makes us feel good or gives us a temporary “high”) instead of the eternal, spiritual satisfaction that comes from the love of Almighty God. Basically, it is hedonism to one degree or another. Command that stones become loaves of bread.

Temptation can take the form of wealth or earthly goods. Material possessions become the reason for my existence. My home, my car, my vacation(s), my boat, my bank account, my jewelry, etc. become my god. I think more things will make me happy. All the kingdoms of the world . . . I shall give you.  At what price? This was the second temptation in the desert (materialism).

Finally, we can be tempted by our ego. Whenever we are proud (in the sense of hubris), boastful, unwilling to seek help (when needed), arrogant, or overconfident in our own ability or skills, we can ascend that parapet where we think that we do not need God. Or worse yet, we think that we are god. No one can tell me what to do. I know best. I will not serve. This type of thinking (egoism) is represented in Jesus’ temptation from the parapet of the temple.

Remember, temptation is not sin. In his humanity, Jesus resisted these temptations and did not sin. He faced Satan head on and rejected his false allurements. Jesus showed us that when we focus and direct our actions completely on the love of God, then we have the ability to do the same. The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve.

Go into the desert this Lent. Face your demons. It is there where they can be confronted and conquered.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor 

More About The Sacrament of Penance (Confession)

Dear Parishioners,

Continuing with the topic of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), I have some questions frequently asked of me and some personal observations for you to ponder this week.

When is it necessary to go to confession prior to receiving Holy Communion? 

Whenever one is conscious of any serious (mortal) sin, confession should ordinarily occur first. Unfortunately there are some occasions when many people do not think that this rule applies. Let me take the topic of missing Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation. When people do not go to Mass regularly (each week) without a legitimate reason (for example, serious illness, the need to care for an infant or someone who needs continuous attention, etc.), they really should go to confession prior to receiving Holy Communion.

How often should I go to confession?

As often as necessary, but certainly whenever there is serious sin. Church law still requires us to make an Easter Duty which obliges Catholics (who are lawfully permitted) to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during Easter time. This means that first we should be in the state of grace (not conscious of any serious sin). Therefore, confession is usually part of this routine. A good spiritual practice has always been monthly confession.

Does it matter whether I go behind the screen or face to face?

No. One should go wherever he or she can be completely honest and open about his or her sinfulness and actions. Sometimes anonymity helps various penitents with the process.

What happens if I deliberately withhold a sin in confession?

Sins deliberately withheld are technically not presented to the priest (who acts in persona Christi) for forgiveness in the sacrament. Usually this case involves an embarrassing situation (a sexual sin, an abortion, etc.) – something that the penitent thinks that they could never tell anyone about. From my personal experience, often there is more joy over the forgiveness brought to the repentant person than embarrassment from the sin itself. 

There are those times when a penitent tries to sneak things in through the back door: "Father, I am sorry for all of my sins."  or "Father, I have broken every commandment." Still on other occasions people have told me that they do not feel sorry for what they did (and therefore feel no need to confess the sin) although the Church teaches that is it wrong. What I have often found is that people who do not make an integral confession usually wind up carrying the guilt around (perhaps denying it or suppressing it) until they get up enough courage to confess the sin(s) at some later point in time through the grace of God. 

My advice when using the Sacrament of Penance: put all the cards on the table, get everything out, hide nothing and you will experience a peace like never before! Yes, it involves a great deal of trust and a confessor who you can talk to and to whom you can open up your soul.  If you find a good confessor, you have found a priceless gift!

Some personal observations:

A person should go to confession to talk about his or her own sinfulness. Sometimes people want to discuss someone in their family who has problems or even that other person’s sins. This might be something to consider in spiritual direction or counseling, but it is not really what confession is supposed to entail. Confession is about a person looking deep within oneself and honestly admitting before God what he or she has done wrong. The Sacrament of Penance is here for our benefit. It is meant to reconcile us to God and to the Church. It is here so that we can experience the love, mercy and forgiveness of God in this world. Please differentiate confession from spiritual direction, counseling or some opportunity to talk to the priest. Remember others may be waiting in line behind you.

My hope as a pastor is that more people will begin to take advantage of this sacrament on a regular basis. Honestly, I do not usually let a week or two go by without seeking out the opportunity to experience the grace of this sacrament for myself.                                                                                                                    

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Sacrament of Penance . . . in a Nutshell

Dear Parishioners,

Having heard numerous confessions for nearly 40 years, I think that it might be helpful to give a type of primer or refresher course for using the Sacrament of Penance. While it may take some time to get everything covered thoroughly, here is my humble attempt to help simplify matters.

The first act important to a good confession is a thorough Examination of Conscience.  We have to look at our lives and see what we have done that is sinful. Many people reflect on the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel, the letters of St. Paul or some formulated written examination to help with the process.

Any known serious sin needs to be confessed in kind and in number. What this means is that I have to tell the priest exactly what I did and the number of times that I did it. I have had people come into confession and say, “Father, I did some really bad things.” This really leaves the priest clueless. Bad things can run the gamut from stealing to murder to adultery to whatever. It is too vague. The reason we need to know the number of times is to give us some sense of the frequency of the problem.

Serious sin basically consists of the following three conditions:

• Grave Matter - The nature of what was done is serious business
• Sufficient Reflection - The person thinks about it and realizes it is wrong to do it
• Full Consent of the Will – The person freely commits the sin knowing it is wrong

In other words, a serious sin (sometimes called a mortal sin) is an action that I know is seriously wrong and yet I choose to do it anyway. Sins that lack one of the above conditions usually are considered venial or less-serious sins. While they do not necessarily need to be confessed in number (“I lied six times”), the gravity or nature of the sin is important. It can be the difference between lying to the telemarketer that “He is not home” to lying to your wife that “I have to work late” (because you are having an affair with your secretary). Both are forms of lies, but one certainly is more serious than the other. Usually what is best is to determine certain patterns of venial sin and to confess the patterns that you are aware of rather than try to number every single sin (which is usually only a calculated guess anyway)

The Process

• Examine your conscience thoroughly. Quietly think about what you did wrong.

• Begin by making the Sign of the Cross. The traditional formula many people are accustomed to is: “Bless me (or forgive me), Father, for I have sinned. It has been (how long?) since my last confession. These are my sins . . . .”

• Confess all of the sins that you can remember. It is not necessary to worry about the number of times for venial (less serious) sins, BUT the number of times a mortal (deliberate and serious) sin is committed should be mentioned. This gives the priest an idea of the seriousness and frequency of the problem.

• If you are not sure if something is sinful, ask the priest to clarify it for you.

• Do not withhold any sin deliberately. The purpose of confession is to admit your sinfulness and to clear your conscience. To hold back sin defeats the purpose of confession. Remember that you speak to God through the priest. You really cannot hide anything from God. No matter how embarrassing something may be, trust that the priest will understand and is anxious to help you reconcile with God and the Church.

• Do not worry about unintentionally forgotten sins. It is usually a good practice to end confession in this manner: “For these and all of the sins of my past life which I cannot now remember, I am sorry.”

• Remember that going to confession means that you want to change for the better. There should be a purpose of amendment which means that you promise to try not to do the same things over again. Perhaps you may fall into sin again, but it important that you resolve to try to do better.

• The priest will give you some penance. The completion of the penance is part of the sacrament. If you do not do the penance, this should be confessed in your next confession.

• Say an Act of Contrition. (Sometimes during a Communal Penance Service this may be done together.) You may use one that you know or recite a prayer of sorrow in your own words.

• The priest will give absolution and then dismiss you. You can be confident that any sin told to a priest in confession is in strict confidence. The priest can never reveal the content of an individual’s confession so that any sin is equated to a particular person. (canon 983) [The Seal of Confession is so sacred that if the priest breaks it he can only be forgiven by the Pope himself (canon 1388) and the priest is never allowed to hear confessions again. The priest must even give up his life before breaking that seal. In addition, the priest may never use knowledge from confession against a person. (canon 984)] 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Confession

Dear Parishioners,

• “Why go to confession? Can’t I just talk to God myself?”
• “It’s been so long. I don’t know what to do.”
• “I can’t tell the priest that stuff! It’s too embarrassing.”
• “I really don’t do anything that bad. I don’t have anything serious to confess.”

Perhaps one of the above statements expresses the way that you think.

I regularly encourage my parishioners to make a good, sacramental confession. Why? Simply stated, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance (confession) is a grace-filled opportunity—an occasion to allow God’s very life to dwell in us more fully. Jesus gives us this sacrament so that we can be reconciled with God and with our fellow Christians in the Church. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus gave the power to forgive sin to the Church, initially through the Apostles. “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:23)

When the priest gives absolution, it is actually Christ who is forgiving sin through the instrument of the priest. The priest is a channel of God’s mercy, forgiveness, grace and love. This is a supernatural action which restores us back to our Baptismal innocence. In addition, the grace of the sacrament helps us in our struggle to resist sin in the future.

“But can’t I just go to God directly myself?” Maybe an example will help to shed some light on the situation.

Some years ago, I came down with what I thought was a really bad cold. No matter what I tried on my own I just couldn’t seem to get rid of it. Finally, I decided to see the doctor.  After some tests, the doctor told me that I had pneumonia in my lung and prescribed the appropriate treatment. Maybe if I would have decided to handle it on my own, I risked getting worse and developing additional complications. I needed the expertise and guidance of someone who was trained to diagnose and treat this particular illness.

With sin, sometimes we need someone objective to look at the situation and recommend the appropriate action. In order to overcome sin, we need something more than what we alone can do.  We need God’s grace.  As priests, we are instruments of God’s grace in the sacraments.

Believe me, with time priests have heard it all—the good and the bad. So many times our joy comes from being able to bring someone closer to God and bringing peace to people’s lives. Those who frequent the sacrament surely understand what I mean. For those who may have been away from the sacrament for any significant amount of time, why not check it out?

HOW DO I GO TO CONFESSION?

• Examine your conscience thoroughly. Quietly think about what you did wrong.
• Begin by making the Sign of the Cross. While the revised rite may have changed some things, the traditional formula many people are accustomed to is: “Bless me (or forgive me), Father, for I have sinned.  It has been (how long?) since my last confession. These are my sins . . . .”
• Confess all of the sins that you can remember.  It is not necessary to worry about the number of times for venial (less serious) sins, BUT the number of times a mortal (deliberate and serious) sin is committed should be mentioned. This gives the priest an idea of the seriousness and frequency of the problem.
• If you are not sure if something is sinful, ask the priest to clarify it for you.
• Do not withhold any sin deliberately. The purpose of confession is to admit your sinfulness and to clear your conscience. To hold back sin defeats the purpose of confession. Remember that you speak to God through the priest.  You really cannot hide anything from God. No matter how embarrassing something may be, trust that the priest will understand and is anxious to help you reconcile with God and the Church.
• Do not worry about unintentionally forgotten sins. It is usually a good practice to end confession in this manner: “For these and all of the sins of my past life which I cannot now remember, I am sorry.”
• Remember that going to confession means that you want to change for the better. There should be a purpose of amendment which means that you promise to try not to do the same things over again. Perhaps you may fall into sin again, but it important that you resolve to try to do better.
• The priest will give you some penance. The completion of the penance is part of the sacrament. If you do not do the penance, this should be confessed in your next confession.
• Pray an Act of Contrition*. (Sometimes during a Communal Penance Service this may be done together.) One or more versions is usually provided in the confessional. You may also use one that you know by heart or recite a prayer of sorrow in your own words.
• The priest will give absolution and then dismiss you. You can be confident that any sin told to a priest in confession is in strict confidence. The priest can never reveal the content of an individual’s confession so that any sin is equated to a particular person (canon 983).  [The Seal of Confession is so sacred that if the priest violates it he can only be forgiven by the Pope himself (canon 1388) and the priest is not permitted to hear confessions again.  The priest must even give up his life before breaking that seal.  In addition, the priest may never use knowledge from confession against a person (canon 984).]

*Examples of the ACT OF CONTRITION:

    O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.  Amen.

    My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.  Amen.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

 Pastor

Lent

Dear Parishioners,

Consider me strange, but I actually look forward to the beginning of Lent each year.  I see it as an important time to be introspective, to evaluate where I am right now in my relationship with Jesus (and the entire Trinity), and to attempt to make some positive changes I hope will result in a growth in holiness.  I also need to repent for my sins.

Traditionally, the practices recommended during this season are prayer, fasting and almsgiving (charity).

How can I pray better?  I can begin by finding and keeping a set time each day to pray.  (My own preference is praying with the Blessed Sacrament.)  I also should be reading and reflecting daily on the Sacred Scriptures, praying the Rosary, making the Stations of the Cross and reading an inspiring Catholic book regularly.  When I am driving in the car, I also like to put on an inspirational Catholic talk or discussion to listen to while driving. It certainly beats the garbage, sometimes called music, that we often find on the radio. [Priests are also required to pray our Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) daily.]

Fasting includes food but should go beyond simply not eating.  The only two fast days (one simple meal) required by the Church during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent are also days of abstinence (no meat).  However, we additionally can fast from things like the TV, the computer/internet, video games, the radio, from smoking or drinking, from superfluous shopping, etc.  In essence, we can do without—make an act of self-denial—and try to incorporate into our lives something more spiritually beneficial instead.

How charitable am I?  Do I regularly contribute to and support my church?  Do I have some other favorite charity to which I give?  Do I volunteer my time or my skills to help others without seeking compensation or recognition?  Do I visit and help the sick or the elderly?  Do I volunteer at the hospital?  Do I think of others more than myself?

The practices that I observe for Lent can really become an opportunity to change my way of living.  I can incorporate more permanently various ways of behaving that open my heart and my life more completely to God.  I can turn my life over to Jesus and take up my cross daily and follow Him.  (See Luke 9:23)

I realize I am a sinner continually in need of the mercy of God.  Like all humans (except Jesus and Mary, of course!), my past life has its share of sin.  I am not proud of this.  Therefore, I should seriously consider some acts of penance during Lent in reparation for my sins.  Making a thorough, heartfelt sacramental confession of my sin is a good way to start.

We should be spiritually mature enough to realize that the more we keep trying and letting God control our lives, the more we open ourselves to His grace of conversion.  Conversion is a lifelong process of turning away from sin and turning towards the Gospel message.  We turn our lives over to God.

On Ash Wednesday, when the ashes are placed on our foreheads, do we actually intend to change, or is this just an act of empty show?  Only God knows what’s in our hearts and how much we really do love Him.

Please make this Lent a time of deep, spiritual conversion.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Clean-Up or Cover-Up?

Dear Parishioners,

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (also called Confession) is meant to help an individual turn back to God, be forgiven of sin and restores a relationship with God and the Church that was damaged by sin.  The sacrament involves various components:  an examination of conscience, the confession of sin, an act of contrition, a purpose of amendment, and the fulfillment of the assigned penance.  When used properly, it is a supernatural means towards effecting a conversion in one’s life—a turning away from sin and a turning back to God.  The sacrament involves God’s grace, forgiveness, mercy and love.

A simple way of looking at the sacrament is as the cleansing of one’s soul—a spiritual clean-up.  There is a restoration back to the baptismal innocence we once had, if we are honest and do not deliberately conceal or hide sin in the sacrament and we are truly sorry (and not just going through the motions).  The priest is the instrument of God’s forgiveness and grace because Christ does the forgiving.  That is why, despite the personal sinfulness of any individual priest, Christ still forgives.

A Catholic can make the choice not to avail himself or herself of the sacrament for a short time or even a lifetime.  A person can conceal certain sins because of guilt or embarrassment:   I can never tell that sin to the priest!  A person might misunderstand how Christ acts in the sacrament through the priest:  I’m not going to tell my sins to those hypocrites!  They need to get their act together first!  A person may decide to go directly to God forgetting that all the other sacraments of the Church employ the working of us weak, sinful human beings.  Christ set it up this way using the apostles as clear examples of the first weak, sinful human instruments that He personally called.

When one chooses to deny the invitation to grace and forgiveness in the sacrament, it results in a type of cover-up. There may be the outward appearance that things are fine, but inside there is still hidden, unforgiven sin.  This cover-up provides no healing, no forgiveness, no mercy.

I thought about applying these principles of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation to the sinfulness within the Church during the ongoing priest sex-scandal.  Are we trying to clean-up or cover-up the mess?  A spiritual clean-up would involve looking seriously at what was done (an examination of conscience) with complete transparency and honesty.  What was done wrong must be confessed (not lied about, kept silent or deliberately concealed to save face). If moral scandals or crimes were committed they should be acknowledged as such.  True, heartfelt sorrow in word and action (contrition) must be visibly expressed and not just some pious platitudes recited, or legally-constructed public statements made.  There must be a desire that this never happens again (a purpose of amendment) and the example set from the top of the Church (pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, etc.) on down.  Maybe there needs to be some resignations submitted at this point.  Public and private penance (especially by the Church’s clergy) needs to be done for the sanctification of the Church.  A life of prayer and penance, which a priest should already be practicing, needs to be taken seriously.

As I try to navigate through the current tempest and the various storms which lie ahead, I hope and pray for the Lord to calm the situation as He did for the apostles at sea (See Mk. 4: 35-41).  

I plan to pray for all of you next week as I make my annual retreat with the Trappist monks.  Please pray for me.  I depend on it.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

How Do I Go to Confession (The Sacrament of Penance)?

 HOW DO I GO TO CONFESSION?

• Examine your conscience thoroughly. Quietly think about what you did wrong.
• Begin by making the Sign of the Cross. 
• The traditional formula many people are accustomed to is: “Bless me (or Forgive me), Father, for I have sinned. It has been (how long?) since my last confession. These are my sins . . . .”
• Confess all of the sins that you can remember.  It is not necessary to worry about the number of times for venial (less serious) sins, BUT the number of times a mortal (deliberate and serious) sin is committed should be mentioned. This gives the priest an idea of the seriousness and frequency of the problem.
• If you are not sure if something is sinful, ask the priest to clarify it for you.
• Do not withhold any sin deliberately. The purpose of confession is to admit your sinfulness and to clear your conscience. To hold back sin defeats the purpose of confession. Remember that you speak to God through the priest. You really cannot hide anything from God.  No matter how embarrassing something may be, trust that the priest will understand and is anxious to help you reconcile with God and the Church.
• Do not worry about unintentionally forgotten sins. It is usually a good practice to end confession in this manner:  “For these and all of the sins of my past life which I cannot now remember, I am sorry.”
• Remember that going to confession means that you want to change for the better. There should be a purpose of amendment which means that you promise to try not to do the same things over again.  Perhaps you may fall into sin again, but it important that you resolve to try to do better.
• The priest will give you some penance. The completion of the penance is part of the sacrament.  If you do not do the penance, this should be confessed in your next confession.
• Say an Act of Contrition*.  (Sometimes during a Communal Penance Service this may be done together.) You may use one that you know or recite a prayer of sorrow in your own words.
• The priest will give absolution and then dismiss you. You can be confident that any sin told to a priest in confession is in strict confidence. The priest can never reveal the content of an individual’s confession so that any sin is equated to a particular person. canon 983  (The Seal of Confession is so sacred that if the priest breaks it he can only be forgiven by the Pope himself canon 1388 and the priest is never allowed to hear confessions again. The priest must even give up his life before breaking that seal. In addition, the priest may never use knowledge from confession against a person. canon 984 )

*Examples of the ACT OF CONTRITION:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.  Amen.

or

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.  Amen.